Chapter 41 #41

Chapter 41 #41
Chapter 41
~Jack~

I watched Cynthia sleep beside me, her chest rising and falling in that slow, peaceful rhythm that only came after being thoroughly fucked. The moonlight streaming through the window caught the silver in her hair, making her look almost angelic. Almost.

Carefully, deliberately, I lifted her hand from where it rested on my chest and set it gently on the mattress beside her. She stirred slightly, murmuring something incoherent, but didn't wake. Good.

I slipped out of bed as quietly as possible, grabbing the silk robe draped over the chair and pulling it on. My movements were practiced, efficient. I'd done this enough times to know exactly how to move without disturbing her.

I picked up her phone. I pulled out a thin cord. Special tech, expensive as hell, but worth every penny. I connected it to her phone, watching as the screen flickered to life, then started the installation process.

Access to everything. Every call, every text, every email, every fucking browser search. Not that Cynthia was really the brains of the Belmar operation, far from it. The woman spent more time shopping and gossiping than she did actually understanding the business. But she knew things. Little things. Fragments of information that, when pieced together, could be useful.

And I needed everything I could get.

I'm going to take that Tyler down, I thought, watching the progress bar crawl across the screen. The old man thought he was untouchable, sitting in his mansion, running his empire from a fucking wheelchair. He had no idea what was coming.

I wanted everything he had. The money, the fame, the power, the respect. I wanted to watch him realize he'd been beaten, wanted to see that superior expression crumble when he understood that someone had outsmarted him.

And Cynthia? She was just a pawn in my little game. A very useful pawn who happened to be excellent in bed, but a pawn nonetheless.

The old woman actually thought I was in love with her. Thought this was real,  thought I gave a damn about her beyond what she could provide. It was almost sad, really, how easily she'd fallen for the act.

I chuckled quietly, the sound barely audible in the stillness of the bedroom.

The installation completed. Perfect. Now every digital move she made would be mine to see, mine to analyze, mine to use.

I disconnected the cord, wiped the phone clean with the edge of my robe, and placed it back exactly where I'd found it on the nightstand. Then I padded back across the room and slipped into bed beside her.

Cynthia immediately shifted closer in her sleep, her body seeking the warmth of mine. I wrapped an arm around her, playing the part even in her unconsciousness.

…

Morning came faster than I'd expected.

I opened my eyes to chaos, Cynthia was up, dressed in just her underwear, running frantically around the room and throwing clothes into her bag with none of her usual careful precision.

"What's going on?" I asked, my voice still rough with sleep.

She jumped slightly, not realizing I was awake. "Oh, Jackie, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to wake you, but…"

"Slow down," I said, sitting up and rubbing my face. "What's wrong?"

"I got a call," she said, her words tumbling over each other as she continued packing. "Tyler fell. He's at the hospital. I need to get back right now."

“Oh. Is he okay?" I said casually.

"I don't know yet," she said, zipping up her bag. "They just said he fell and they took him to the hospital. I need to be there. What will people think if I'm not there?"

"Of course.” I said, getting out of bed and moving toward her. "You need to go. Family comes first."

She looked at me with those grateful eyes, like I was being so understanding instead of internally celebrating this convenient turn of events. "I'm so sorry, baby. I know we were supposed to have another day together."

I pulled her into my arms, stroking her back soothingly. "Don't apologize. These things happen. We'll have other times. More mind-blowing sex, just you and me. I promise."

That made her smile despite her worry. She started kissing me, my jaw, my neck, my chest, her hands already wandering lower despite her supposed urgency to leave.

I felt myself getting hard despite my better judgment. Damn woman knew exactly how to work me up.

"Cynthia," I said, gently pulling back before this went too far. "You need to go, remember?"

"I know, I know," she said breathlessly. "I just can't help myself around you."

"I'll call the driver," I said, reaching for my phone on the nightstand. "He can be here in ten minutes."

"Thank you, Jackie. You're always so good to me."

I made the call quickly, professional and efficient

"He's on his way," I told Cynthia

"Okay, okay, I just need to…"

Suddenly, her phone started ringing. The sound cut through the room like an alarm.

Cynthia froze, her eyes going wide. "Oh shit. Oh shit."

She grabbed the phone, looked at the screen, and her face went pale. "It's Dwayne. Shh, be quiet."

I watched with interest as she answered, her entire demeanor changing in an instant. 

"Hi, Dwayne," she said, that fake warmth dripping from every syllable. "Yes, I heard about your father. I'm actually on my way back already."

I couldn't hear what he was saying on the other end, but whatever it was made Cynthia's jaw tighten slightly.

"You don't need to do that," she said quickly, too quickly. "I'm already on my way. The driver from the women's retreat is taking me straight to the hospital."

More words from Dwayne that I couldn't make out.

"Yes, yes, I understand. I'll be there as soon as I can." She paused. "Okay. Goodbye."

She hung up and immediately groaned, tossing the phone onto the bed like it had burned her. "Ugh, why is that brat calling me?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Brat? Isn't he your son?"

"Oh, baby, never," she said with real venom in her voice. "He's the son of the other woman. Tyler's mistake from before we were married."

"Oh wow," I said, filing that piece of information away. "That's a new revelation."

This was gold. 

"He's too arrogant and snubbish," Cynthia continued, her lip curling in distaste. "Always has been. Thinks he's better than everyone else just because Tyler favors him. Dante needs to step up his game and remind everyone who the real heir is."

"Hmm, I see," I said neutrally, my mind already working through the implications. The more I learned, the more weapons I had.

My phone buzzed with a text. "Driver's here," I told her.

Cynthia's face fell, genuine disappointment crossing her features. "I'll miss you, Jackie."

She came over and kissed me, deep and lingering. I kissed her back, playing my part perfectly.

When she finally pulled away. 

"I'll call you as soon as I can," she promised. "We'll arrange another trip soon."

"I'll be waiting," I assured her, stroking her cheek with false tenderness.

She grabbed her bag, took one last longing look at me, and then she was gone, the door clicking shut behind her.

I waited to hear the car pull away before I spoke.

"Ah, she's out of my hair finally," I said to the empty room, my voice cold and satisfied.

I stretched, cracking my neck, already thinking about my next moves. 

My phone rang, interrupting my thoughts.

I glanced at the screen and couldn't help the dark smile that spread across my face.

"Hello, Daddy," the voice on the other end purred, young and eager. "I miss you so much. I can't wait to see you."

"Hi, babygirl," I said, my voice taking on a different quality, smoother, more indulgent. "See you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow can't come soon enough," she said, and I could hear the pout in her voice. "I need you."

"Patience," I told her. "Good things come to those who wait."

She giggled. "You always say that."

"And I'm always right. Tomorrow, sweetheart. I promise."

"Okay, Daddy. I love you."

"Love you too, babygirl."

I hung up and looked at the phone in my hand, turning it over slowly.

I chuckled, the sound dark and satisfied in the empty room. "Isn't this interesting?"

Mother and daughter, both wrapped around my finger, both thinking they were special, both feeding me information and access to the Belmar empire without even realizing it.

This was better than I could have planned. Better than I'd dared to hope.

"To the Belmar family," I said softly. "May they never see me coming."