Chapter 223 Retribution

Chapter 223 Retribution
Bianca's POV

I stood in front of the bedroom mirror the next morning, smoothing down the front of my gray trousers.

My phone rang on the vanity table. I picked it up and saw Simon's name on the screen.

"Hello, Simon," I said, putting the call on speaker as I picked up my earrings.

"Good morning, Miss McIntyre," Simon said. "I am calling to confirm that we are meeting at the lawyers' lounge downtown in forty minutes. I am actually free right now. Would you like me to drive over and pick you up?"

I paused, holding an earring in my hand. "Did Leon tell you to do that?"

There was a short silence on the line.

"Frankly, yes, he did. But that is only because your new house is a bit far from the lounge and traffic will be bad this morning."

"I am an adult, Simon," I said harshly. "I can get myself there, thank you very much. And if you are going to be such a puppet to Leon every single day, then maybe it is best you stop calling my personal phone."

"Miss McIntyre, I only meant—"

I ended the call before he could finish.

I set the phone down on the glass counter, letting out a long breath.

I was tired of being micro-managed by that man.

I was tired of Leon deciding who drove me, what I ate, and where I went.

I put on my shoes, grabbed my handbag, and automatically tapped my screen to call Kimberly.

I needed to vent to someone who understood how I felt.

My thumb hovered over her contact name for three seconds, then the memory of our argument came rushing back, the harsh words I had thrown at her, the way she had looked at me before walking out of my house.

We were not exactly on speaking terms. I had pushed away the only friend I had left in this life.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, locked the screen, and slipped the phone into my bag.

Well, I was completely on my own now.

Getting a taxi in the residential area took far longer than I thought.

I stood at the end of the driveway for nearly twenty minutes, watching cars pass by before an empty yellow cab finally stopped.

For months, I had been driven everywhere by Leon, Thomas, or Elias.

I had completely forgotten how frustrating it was to live in the city without a private driver.

By the time the cab pulled up outside the lounge downtown, I was fifteen minutes late.

My phone had buzzed six times in my purse during the ride, all missed calls from Leon, but I had ignored every single one.

Leon was standing right outside the entrance of the building.

He was pacing along the porch, checking his watch and muttering. The second my cab stopped, his head snapped up.

I paid the driver, pushed the door open, and stepped out onto the sidewalk.

Leon walked straight over to me. "Are you okay? What took you so long? I was about to call Elias and send him to your house to make sure you weren't in danger."

"You need to stop being dramatic, Leon," I said, walking past him toward the entrance. "You are not some mafia boss, and no one is waiting behind the bushes to kidnap me. I took a taxi like a normal person. I am an adult."

Leon kept pace with me and pulled me to a stop.

"What?!” I snapped.

"Bianca, I have serious enemies in this city. We both know there has been more than one attempt on your life since you started working with me. It is stupid for you to think that me trying to protect you is just drama."

"Whatever," I said, pulling my arm away from him and pushing the glass door open. "Aren't we late already?"

Leon inhaled deeply and we walked inside the lounge.

The room was large, with dark wood walls and leather armchairs, but there was not a single other customer in sight.

Every table was empty except for the large one in the far corner.

I stopped and looked back at Leon. "Really? You reserved the whole place?"

"I didn't want any intruding ears," he replied simply.

He walked ahead of me, pulled out a leather chair at the corner table, and waited for me to sit.

I took the seat, set my bag on the floor, and looked across the table.

Right there was the one man I never wanted to see again.

Marcus was sitting directly opposite me and he looked terrible.

His face was pale and thin, his dark hair was overgrown and looked quite greasy, and his eyes had a wide, wild look that made him seem like a complete lunatic.

He was wearing an oversized jumpsuit under a plain coat, with two armed guards standing a few paces behind his chair.

Beside him sat a middle-aged defense attorney in a dark gray suit, with Arthur, Leon’s lead lawyer, sitting at the end of the table.

Arthur cleared his throat and opened a manila folder. "Good morning. We are here to review the pre-trial terms before the formal arraignment. The defense has indicated that Marcus is prepared to enter a guilty plea to the assault and battery charges. However, given the family ties, counsel is asking Miss McIntyre to consider resolving this outside of a criminal conviction."

"No," Leon snapped instantly. "He attacked her, he cornered me in an elevator and tried to force himself on her. That is not a family dispute."

Marcus suddenly leaned forward against the table, tears welling up in his bloodshot eyes.

"Why do you hate me so much?" Marcus asked hoarsely, leaning towards Leon.

He looked directly at Leon, his voice shaking. "You never loved me. Even when I was a little boy, you looked at me like I was a burden. You've been trying to put me in a cage for years, haven't you?"