Page 7 of Beautiful Lies

“Exactly,” I agree, the aspect of control appealing to me most.

Yes, we were wronged as a company when the scandal hit years ago, but I was the one who took the fall.

I was blamed for the embezzlement because I’d signed off on the contracts tied to the missing investments. On record, I was the last person to review the transactions before theymysteriouslydisappeared.

I nearly went to prison when the case went to court. The lack of evidence acquitted me, but acquittal doesn’t erase doubt. Not in this business.

The board wanted me gone. Careless, they called me.Reckless. It didn’t matter that I’d earned my stripes the hard way. It took years to salvage my name and rebuild trust. And to this day I’m still fucking trying.

I kept asking myself who’d profited from my fall. Who’d stood to gain? The answer came eight years too late.

John Monroe.

That motherfucker was my senior manager at the time. He used me as his scapegoat.

The recent evidence proved it. Every time I logged into the system, he piggybacked off my credentials to reroute the money.

Then the bastard played me again when I gave him that loan.

I’m not known for compassion, but he came to me as an old mentor in trouble. I helped because I still felt responsible for the fallout that drove him and others out of Vale Global. I even gave him a year’s grace before repayment, not realizing he was screwing me over the entire time.

John Monroe cost us millions and nearly destroyed Vale Global’s reputation for good. Had we been a different company, we would have gone out of business.

Marrying his daughter and taking his legacy will be my sweet, sweet, sweet revenge.

Dad’s smile widens and he snaps his fingers at me. “We have these people exactly where we want them.”

“We do.”

“Well done, son. Well done. The board will be pleased.”

That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. “And I’m sure they’ll be pleased with the acquisition of a property with a prime location on Park Avenue.”

My father nods approvingly. "Spoken like a true Vale.”

Dorian rolls his eyes at the sentiment while Locke and Levi look at each other and chuckle. They might look like they’re mocking the family rhetoric, but I know they agree and support me.

“What are your next steps?” Locke asks.

“Planning the wedding as soon as Isla Monroe signs the contract. The quicker we get the ball rolling, the better.”

“What are you going to do with the restaurant?” Levi cuts in, eyeing me with curiosity, like he already knows the answer. My brothers know me too damn well.

And that question opens the door to the real play. Because the answer is the whole point of this mission. And this marriage. It’s how I’ll get retribution and secure my position at Vale Global.

“I’m going to level it and put up a twenty-two–story tower. Forty ultra-luxury apartments. The smallest units will go for five to eight million. Thirty to forty for the penthouse.”

Levi’s brows jump, and the room goes still, every pair of eyes locked on me like they’re seeing me for the first time.

“Holy shit,” Dorian breathes.

I grin, pride settling deep in my chest. “Projected revenue is half a billion,minimum.” I glance at my father. “And I’m tying the restaurant to Vale Global to give us our first foothold in real estate.”

“My God. You never cease to amaze me.” Dad claps once, delighted. “When did you come up with this?”

“Last night.” I nod. “I was thinking about the location and the layout of the building. It was originally a railroad service depot, so the foundation is solid, and we can build up without issue.”

“That is fantastic.” Dad throws his hands up. “People have been trying to get their hands on that building for years.”