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I quirked an eyebrow as Cade’s attention returned, reluctantly, to me.

“What’s so important that it couldn’t wait?” he demanded, his tone growing peevish.

I stared at this soft beta pup with his piggy brown eyes and bad combover. I’d underestimated how great the temptation would be to pound him into the utilitarian beige carpet with my fists. But that wasn’t why I was here. That kind of revenge was meaningless, especially if it meant I’d be handed over to the authorities at the next port and hauled away in handcuffs, high net worth or no.

“Ah, well, we’re fellow Londoners, aren’t we?” I said. “You spoke of networking opportunities, and I thought we might discuss how our respective businesses have the potential to help each other. Now, what exactly is it that you and your father do?”

I watched the walls go up. Cade was stupid, but he wasn’tthatstupid.

“We have a diversified portfolio,” he replied in a monotone. “And... what about you? You’re the crypto bloke, right?”

There were few less respectable ways to break into the wealthy classes than by being the beneficiary of a lucky bet on Bitcoin—and other rich people weren’t shy about reminding me of that fact at every available opportunity.

“In a manner of speaking,” I replied easily. “I made my first ten million by investing in cryptocurrency early, and my first hundred million by shorting the subsequent crash. But I have, as you say, diversified my portfolio into other, more lucrative opportunities since then.”

Gossip would have it that those other opportunities involved Russia in ways that weren’t necessarily legal. I had no idea if Cade Huntwell was privy to that kind of gossip or not.

Whatever the case, a spark of interest crowded out some of his previous frustration with me. “Is that so?”

I let the silence stretch rather than replying aloud to the inanity. Gears appeared to be turning inside his thick skull. Slowly.Ponderously. I imagined I could hear them grinding and wondered if anyone had thought to oil his brain recently.

“Maybe you should talk to my father,” he eventually decided.

“What a wonderful idea,” I said, aware that a conversation with Tommy Huntwell would involve considerably more potential pitfalls than a conversation with Cade, who was an idiot. I took his arm and steered him toward the main staircase. “Perhaps we should return to the top deck, and you can arrange a personal introduction for me.”

TEN

Emma

A HURRIED KNOCK on the cabin door sent my heart rate skyrocketing. It was followed by the click of the electronic lock opening. I relaxed when Elijah appeared in the doorway, looking about as stressed as I felt.

“Oh, thank god,” Elijah said. “He’s not here.”

That... wasn’t the most reassuring greeting.

“Who’s not here?” I demanded, the words emerging a bit shriller than I would have liked.

Elijah ran a hand through his artfully messy hair. Though, to be honest, it was looking considerably less artful than when he’d left for dinner. He was noticeably flushed and out of breath, as though he’d run here.

“Cade Huntwell,” he said grimly. “You were missed at dinner. Your uncle told our host to send the ship’s doctor to look at you. Cade offered to go get him. I was worried the asshole might come straight here instead. They clearly know you’re on board.”