Chapter 95: Many fishes
Carmen
I had barely settled down in the study with my laptop, going through a few documents, especially matters related to my own businesses, when I deliberately pushed Vanessa out of my mind.
She would be fine. There was no reason for Nico’s and my mutual enemies to go after her, especially since we weren’t emotionally attached to her in any way that made her valuable.
My focus shifted back to the laptop in front of me, my gaze sharpening as I continued reviewing the spreadsheets. Still, I couldn’t help the slight frown that formed on my face. Of course, I hadn’t expected the books to be completely balanced, nothing ever was, but this was worse. Much worse.
Someone was clearly stealing from me.
My eyes were still moving steadily down the spreadsheet, noting inconsistencies and irregular figures, when my phone rang. Without thinking twice, I picked it up and pressed it against my ear.
"Yes!"
"What?"
I froze slightly, the words on the other end making me sit up straighter. I was stunned, but in a good way. No, better than good.
"Are you sure you found him?" I asked, my voice lowering as I listened intently. The person on the other end clarified that it wasn’t a confirmed capture, only where the once cold trail had finally led to.
I processed it quickly.
"Don’t go in yet," I said immediately. "Stay far away and wait for instructions."
I ended the call right after.
My first instinct was to call Bianca. My fingers had already started dialing her number before I stopped midway, my expression hardening slightly.
At the end of the day, she was still my enemy. There was no changing that, no matter the circumstances. There was no real way for us to cooperate without it turning into something else later.
The logical option would be to give her the address only after she agreed to stay away from the other half of the inheritance.
But then again, wasn’t it better for her to owe me something real?
A genuine favor carried far more weight than forced compliance. If I coerced her, she would simply find a way around it later. That was how people like her operated.
Exhaling softly, I picked up my phone again and completed the call.
When she answered, I didn’t waste time. I gave her the address directly, making it clear that if it turned out to be a trap, then it was hers to deal with, but if it wasn’t, then she owed me.
I wasn’t surprised by the emotion in her voice. I didn’t respond to it either. The call ended shortly after.
Leaning back slightly in my chair, I glanced toward the window. It was already getting close to evening, and if I was being honest with myself, I was tempted.
More than anything, I wanted to know if Kade was actually still alive.
But there was something else too, a quiet, persistent feeling in my chest. A warning.
It made me hesitate.
For a brief moment, I wondered if it was instinct or simply fear disguised as caution.
I was sleeping with Nico, but I wasn’t foolish enough to believe that meant protection. He wouldn’t risk any part of his territory for me, not truly.
And while I had men working under me, I didn’t trust them completely either. Loyalty was easily bought in this world.
"Still... I can’t keep staying in this mansion and hoping I’ll be safe," I muttered under my breath.
Almost as if on cue, my phone rang again.
I looked down at the screen and saw Aran’s name flashing. Instinctively, my first reaction was to decline the call. My finger even hovered over the option before I stopped.
After a second of consideration, I picked it up and placed it against my ear.
"You want to meet?" I asked before he could say anything.
A low chuckle came from the other end, calm and calculated.
"I have a great proposal for you," he said. "One you won’t be able to refuse."
I held back a sigh.
The building contracts alone, the ones involving overwater rigging equipment and their import, were already widespread enough that their effects had started reaching even me. At this point, any business related company that didn’t know what was going on had no excuse.
"I guess you’re already aware of the discovery," he continued.
This time, I couldn’t help the faint scoff that escaped me.
"Then you must also be aware that you need me more than I would ever need you," I replied coldly, growing tired of his act. He kept pretending to be nothing more than a simple businessman who had just happened to choose me among countless options.
I didn’t believe that for a second.
"Who do you work for?" I asked directly.
There was a brief pause before he sighed.
"You can Google me, Carmen. I have my own company."
That answer only irritated me further.
"This conversation is over," I said immediately, ready to end the call.
But his tone shifted instantly.
"I and a few more friends," he said, his voice dropping, deeper now, rougher, closer to what he really was beneath the polished exterior, "are ready to offer ten times the worth of those shares. Along with capital infusion. You will not be disappointed, Carmen."
I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn’t see it.
Wasn’t that just another way of offering money to strip control from me? With that many people involved, how much authority would I realistically have left?
"I refuse. But thank..."
He didn’t let me finish.
"There is more than enough fish in the sea for all of us," he said, his voice carrying a faint edge of threat now. "With a resource this large, you cannot keep most of your construction companies to yourself."
He avoided saying the word Mivite, but it didn’t matter. I already knew.
"That is only the case if I didn’t own the goddamn river!" I snapped back sharply.
I knew exactly how men like him operated. Give them even the smallest opening, and they would take everything.
"Our conversation ends here," I said firmly.
I could hear the irritation in his voice as he tried to speak again, but I didn’t wait.
"Carmen, think carefully about..."
The line cut off.
I placed my phone face down on the table and exhaled deeply, leaning back slightly.
For a moment, the room was silent again.
Aran wasn’t entirely wrong.
We did need stronger allies, especially if Mivite was truly involved. It was rare enough for even governments to kill over something like that.
But that was a problem for later.
Everything came after Vito was dealt with.
Especially now that we had confirmation, clear and direct, that he was linked to the rig already under construction.
