Chapter 7 Leverage.
Chloe's POV.
The next morning, gray light came through the windows and I heard movement in the kitchen. I pulled on jeans and a sweater and walked out. Liam stood at the counter in a black suit, drinking coffee and he looked up when I entered. "I have a breakfast meeting downtown. Marcus will drive you to the hospital after. Surgery's at noon."
"You paid for it," I said, because the nurse had mentioned an anonymous donor covering the deposit.
He set his cup down. "Consider it an advance on the next payment. Don't be late tonight. Margaret hates tardiness." He walked past me and the scent of his cologne lingered.
Marcus appeared in the doorway. "Ready when you are, Miss Carter."
I grabbed my purse and followed him to the elevator. As the doors closed, I caught my reflection in the mirrored walls.
My eyes looked too big in my face and my lips were swollen from Liam's kiss. More than half of the money check was already burned in my pocket, and clause 14 was burned in my mind.
We drove to the hospital in a strange, heavy calm. Neither of us spoke; the hum of the engine filled the silence that words couldn’t touch.
Outside, the late afternoon light was fading, painting the streets in dull gold. I watched the buildings blur past, feeling each heartbeat echo in my throat.
When we finally pulled into the parking lot, the air smelled faintly of rain and exhaust. Inside, the waiting room greeted us with its sharp scent of antiseptic and the bitter aroma of stale coffee. The fluorescent lights buzzed faintly overhead, making everything seem too bright and too real.
Mia rushed to me, wrapping her arms around my waist. Her school uniform was wrinkled, her hair coming loose from its braid. “They said Mom’s stable,” she murmured, voice trembling between hope and fear. “The surgeon’s optimistic.”
I nodded, unable to trust my voice and we sat together in the stiff plastic chairs. Minutes stretched into hours until, at last, they wheeled Mom out of recovery. Her skin was pale against the white sheets, but her eyes fluttered open when she saw us.
She reached for my hand, her grip surprisingly firm. “Don’t spend everything on me, baby,” she whispered, her lips barely moving.
I forced a smile, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead. “I’ve got it handled,” I lied softly.
She smiled, the faintest curve of her lips and I kissed her forehead, holding on to the fragile warmth of that moment.
Back at the penthouse that afternoon, I showered and changed into the dress Liam had delivered. Black silk that hugged my body and left my back bare.
Marcus drove me to the estate and the gates opened like jaws. Liam waited on the steps in a tux and his eyes traveled over me slowly. "Wow... Perfect," he said and offered his arm.
Inside the house smelled like money and old wood and Margaret stood in the foyer with a smile as sharp as glass.
"Chloe dear," she said and air-kissed my cheeks. "Liam tells me you've been keeping him grounded. We'll see about that at dinner."
I smiled back and my stomach knotted. Liam's hand settled on my lower back and his thumb brushed bare skin. "Act and behave your best," he murmured against my ear.
“Grandma, I forgot to ask, what about Grandpa and my parents?” Liam asked, his voice curious but gentle. He looked around the quiet sitting room, half expecting them to appear from the hallway.
“Ooh!” Grandma exclaimed, adjusting her glasses and setting her dining chair to sit on it. “They stepped out. They were supposed to be here with us, but something came up, an emergency meeting with one of the senators. You know how sudden those things can be.”
Liam nodded slowly, understanding. “Okay, Ma,” he said with a small smile. “There’s no problem.”
The dining room table could seat twenty, but only four places were set. Margaret at the head, Liam to her right, me next to him and an empty chair that made me nervous. The maid served salad and Margaret started firing questions.
"How did you meet my grandson, Chloe?" "At work," I said and Liam's hand squeezed my knee under the table.
"Six months ago," he added smoothly. "She spilled coffee on my shirt and called me an asshole."
Margaret laughed, but her eyes stayed cold. "And you fell for that," Liam said and his fingers slid higher on my thigh. The questions kept coming and I answered them all until dessert.
That's when the front door opened and heels clicked on marble. Kim walked in wearing red and holding a bottle of champagne.
"Sorry, I'm late, darling," she said to Liam and kissed his cheek right in front of me.
Margaret smiled like Christmas had come early. "Kimberly will join us. She and Liam have history after all."
Liam's hand froze on my leg and I felt the temperature drop. Kim sat in the empty chair and her perfume filled the air. "Chloe, right?" she said and her smile didn't reach her eyes. "Liam tells me everything. We're very close."
I picked up my wine and drank deeply. Under the table, Liam's fingers dug into my skin hard enough to bruise. The maid brought another plate and the conversation started again, but I barely heard it. Kim laughed at everything Liam said and touched his arm and I wanted to break her fingers.
When dinner ended, Margaret stood. "Liam, show Chloe the gardens. Kimberly and I will have coffee and chit-chat."
Liam led me outside and the night air hit my face. As soon as we rounded the corner, he pushed me against the stone wall and kissed me hard. His hands gripped my hips and he ground against me until I felt him hard through his pants.
"Not here," I gasped, but he swallowed the words. "Quiet," he ordered and his hand slid under my dress and into my panties. "You know we don't have all the time here to please Grandma and put Kim in her place and so we shouldn't take any chance for granted."
I was wet already and he groaned. "This is mine now." Two fingers pushed inside and I bit his shoulder to stay quiet.
He worked on me fast and ruthlessly until my legs shook and I came, biting down hard enough to leave marks.
He pulled his hand free and licked his fingers again. "Good girl. Now smile for Margaret." He fixed my dress and walked back inside like nothing happened.
I stood there shaking with aftershocks and rage. Kim watched us return and her eyes narrowed. Margaret raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Kim smiled warmly and leaned forward. “So, Chloe,” she asked, “how’s the garden coming along?”
My face lit up immediately. “Oh! It’s so beautiful,” I said, my eyes sparkling. “The roses are beautifully blooming and the lilies near the fence look like something out of a painting. I love spending time in flower gardens. It’s peaceful and full of color.”
For a moment, everyone seemed lost in the image I painted. Then Grandma turned to Liam with her cheerful curiosity. “So, grandson,” she began, “how’s work going these days?”
Liam smiled politely, brushing a bit of lint from his sleeve. “Work’s been going really well, Grandma,” he said. “A little stressful, as always, but nothing I can’t handle.”
He paused and gave her a playful grin. “And how’s your health? You look like you’re getting younger every time I see you.”
Grandma threw her head back and laughed, the sound filling the room. “Ah, that’s because I’m high-maintenance, you know,” she teased, wagging a finger at him. “And you know what that means, wealth is definitely involved!”
She gave me a quick glance then, one of those assessing looks that made me feel slightly out of place and as if I didn’t quite fit her expectations.
“I know, Grandma,” Liam replied with a soft chuckle, trying to ease the tension.
A few minutes later, he glanced at his watch and stood. “We should probably get going,” he said smoothly. “I’ve got a few things I need to take care of.”
"Grandma, my regards to Grandpa and my parents," Liam said. "Ok, Liam, they will definitely hear that."
Back in the car, Marcus drove us home in silence. Liam stared out the window and I stared at my lap. When we reached the penthouse, he finally spoke. "Guest room. Now."
I walked ahead and he followed. At the connecting door, he stopped. "Lock from your side tonight." Then he disappeared into his room and I heard the click of his lock.
I pressed my ear to the wall again and caught the tail end of another call. "Tell the investigator to speed it up. I need leverage before Paris." The line went dead.
I backed away and sat on my bed with my heart racing. Leverage. The word echoed with clause 14 and Kim's smile and Margaret's cold eyes. My phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number.
A photo of Liam and Kim kissing in front of the estate tonight, while I was in the garden. The message read, "He'll never choose you."
I deleted it and crawled under the covers. Tomorrow, Paris and more lies. Tonight I listened to Liam's shower run through the wall and wondered what compensation he'd demand next.