Chapter 37 Chapter 37
I set it aside and opened the third box; it was full of stock certificates and incorporation papers. One of them was a 90% stake. The original articles for The Valerius Group (now Rhodes International). It proved Alistair was only ever a 10% junior partner.
Then I found it, the Succession Will. A legal document stated that if my parents died, the entire business was to be held in a "Blood Trust" for me. Alistair had basically committed the biggest corporate heist in history by forging a transfer of those shares.
At the bottom was a set of keys. They were a row of heavy, old-fashioned brass keys and modern encrypted fobs. They were labeled for private vaults in London, Singapore, and the Cayman Islands.
I opened the box; the fourth box was lighter. I opened it and found a Black Card: a heavy, metal private banking card from Lombard & Steuben.
Then I found the Account Ledger; it was a printout of a dark account that had been collecting interest for twenty-one years. The number at the bottom had so many zeros I had to blink twice. It was billions. Pure, untouched billions.
I found what looked like safety deposit box keys, three heavy keys for a private vault in the Riverside National Bank, the very bank Alistair used every day.
I opened the last box, and at the very bottom, in a cedar-lined box, was a stack of letters. I grabbed one and opened it slowly. It was a letter, handwritten by my mother, Elena.
"To our dearest Isla, if you are reading this, it means the world was as dangerous as we feared. We kept you a secret not to hide you, but to save you. You are the blood of kings and the heart of this city. Take what is yours, little hawk. Don't just survive—reign."
I set the rest of the letter aside and picked up a small book. It was a detailed list my dad had compiled of every bribe Alistair had ever paid, every law he’d broken, and every person he’d stepped on to get to the top. It was a roadmap for his destruction.
I sat there, surrounded by billions of dollars in paper, keys to the world's most secure vaults, and the proof that I was the rightful owner of the very roof over Alistair’s head.
I wasn't just a girl who’d survived a fire anymore. I was a sovereign. I was the one who could buy and sell the Rhodes family ten times over. Hell, I had more money than Nikolai. I picked up the heavy gold signet ring and slipped it onto my thumb. It was cold, heavy, and perfect.
"I'm not coming for your life, Alistair; I'm coming for your name, your money, and every single brick you think you own. They would regret ever laying eyes on the Valerius’s.
“Wesley?”
"Yes, Madam?” he answered.
“You said the drug should take effect within a week, right?” I asked.
“That is correct, Madam. According to Brax’s info, a doctor has been making house visits recently to the Rhodes," he said.
“Good. Now we make Alistair squirm. I need to know everything: where Viviam likes to spend time, shopping habits, and Blair and Alistair. Also, have Brax create a verified social media account for Isla Valerius. Have social media do its work; let Isla Valerius come to life.”
“On it, Madam.”
After he left, I just stayed there, reading everything over carefully. I was so lost in what I was doing that I didn't hear the footsteps until they were right beside me. When I looked up, Nikolai was standing there.
“What did you find?" he asked.
“Everything, my entire life.”
“I see. Sophia will be staying here for a few days.” he said, and I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
"Yeah, sure, whatever.” I replied and continued packing the papers away.
“Isal”
“Mr. Ferro”
"Isla," he said, his voice more serious.
"Yes, Mr. Ferro. If you have nothing important to say, then leave; you’re disturbing me.”
He grabbed my shoulders so fast and spun me around to look at him. His grip on my shoulder was tightening. “Nikolai, you’re hurting me," I said, and he let go of me instantly.
"Leave now before I say and do something I regret." I said, kneeling and packing away everything.
“She is one of Lucas Moretti’s women; he sent her to me," he said.
“I know that."
“Then stop acting like that," he said, and I couldn't help but chuckle. I dropped the paper and stood up and looked at him.
“Why am I here? ” I asked. He was about to answer, but I raised my hand, stopping him. “I am here to help you secure your family business. I am here to help you figure out who is trustworthy in your family. I am here to keep the Morettis away from you. I am here because it's what you groomed me for. That is the only reason I am here. I am not here so you can lose your shit and grab me and touch me; I'm not here to fall in love or build anything. I am here to do the job you asked me to do, nothing more. So stop. Stop touching me, and stop thinking I'll be annoyed if and when you bring a random woman into your house.”
I could see it, the tick of his jaw, the anger in his eyes. Yes, he was angry, but there was also hurt there, and I didn't care. He doesn't get to treat me like that.
"Are you done?” he asked, and I just stared at him.
“Yes, I am done, Mr. Ferro."
Nikolai
I was pissed. She was speaking from anger and jealousy. I grabbed her and threw her over my shoulder and began walking out with her. She really thought that was why she was here. Then she needed to understand exactly why she was here and what she meant to me.
I walked past Sophia sitting in the living room; when she saw me, she stood up. "Nikolai, what is the mea…”
“SHUT UP AND SIT THE FUCK DOWN”
She looked startled, but I couldn't give a fuck; I walked up the stairs and straight up to my room. Once in the room, I locked the door and dropped her onto the bed. She sat up and looked at me.
“What the hell is wrong with you, Nikolai?” She yelled, but I really couldn't give a fuck. I walked over to her and fisted her hair, tilting her head up, making her look at me.
"Want to really know why you're here?” I asked, and she swallowed hard.
“You’re here because I want you here, not for a job but because you’re my fucking wife.” I said, and her eyes went wide.