Page 22 of Blood and Thorns (Twisted Ever After #1)

Sebastian

Leaning against my bike, I took a moment to glance up at the building, the dark brick three stories high. Baron Financial Consultancy and Accountancy was nestled in the heart of Kensington, polished to perfection and as ‘legit’ as any business built on corruption could be.

What pretentious prick uses his title as part of the name of his business? Oh, that would be my uncle. He seemed to forget the Baron title was hereditary and was given to him just because he was the eldest and only son.

It wasn’t earned, and it meant nothing in a modern time where royalty and aristocracy had almost zero power, and contributed nothing meaningful to society other than to a small circle of elite. So his title was pointless.

But Alexander Ackworth still paraded around like he was more important than he actually was, just because he’d been the only male sibling.

Along with the title, he’d inherited the family fortune, my grandfather purposely leaving my mum nothing. Not that there was any fortune left, as my grandfather was a notorious drunk who used every last penny on sex workers and any drugs he could get his old, wrinkled hands on .

I hadn’t spent much time with him before his somewhat dramatic demise–crushed to death in a sex act gone wrong–my mother having given up everything to move to Paris to be with my father not long after I was born.

“Hello, how can I help you?” the receptionist asked as I took a step inside.

I hadn’t bothered with my mask, and she showed no reaction to my scars other than a slight tightening of her smile. Ignoring her entirely, I moved down the corridor and past the glass conference room towards the offices at the back.

“Excuse me! You can’t just go down there!”

Baron Financial Consultancy and Accountancy was just a fancy name for a financial advisor, or wealth manager. My uncle, as well as his partners, provided advice and services to those with a significant bank account.

I couldn’t speak for his other clients, but I was a somewhat unusual case in the fact that the majority of my money wasn’t made legally, and it was the firm’s job to deal with it.

They made sure everything looked above board for His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, as well as making sure all my money was accounted for. Every single penny.

Finding his door, I opened it without knocking. “Hello Uncle,” I greeted in French.

Alexander sat behind his desk, his eyes widening when he looked up to find me standing there. “Sebastian?” Jumping to his feet, he caused some of his paperwork to scatter to the floor. “What are you doing here? We don’t have a meeting.”

“I’m so sorry, Mr Ackworth, he just barged in,” the receptionist explained, her words a little flustered as she’d tried to match my longer strides.

Alexander’s nostrils flared, his smile strained. “Please cancel my next appointment.”

“You seem nervous. Why would that be?” I drawled.

“What have I told you about speaking that language in my presence?” he sneered, waiting until we were alone and the door was closed. “What are you doing here, Sebastian? Does Caden know you’re here alone?”

Of course he mentioned my cousin, because we both knew Caden wasn’t aware that I’d come for a little friendly visit. “Why, need him as a buffer?”

My uncle and I clashed more often than not, so we kept in-person meetings to a minimum.

“You know you’re supposed to have a guard.”

“I don’t need a guard, Uncle.”

“Say that to a bullet between your eyes. You wanted all this power, Sebastian. But it comes at a cost when it makes you a target.” Alexander sniffed, as if displeased with my company. “You should’ve just called rather than turning up uninvited.”

“But then you wouldn’t get to see my pretty face.

” Crossing my arms, I leaned against the wall.

Alexander stood rigid, and I knew he wouldn’t return to his seat because he wouldn’t want to feel less superior in the dynamic.

It didn’t matter that I was several inches taller regardless of whether we were sitting or not.

His stare was sharp. “Get to the point, Sebastian. I’m a very busy man, and you’re already disrupting my next meeting,” he seethed.

“What happened with my money?” I asked, eyeing his office, the certificates and photographs of notable people adorning the walls, and all the books with legal jargon lining his shelves.

Closing the distance, I reached for the frame he had on his desk, unsurprised to see him and my mother.

He may dislike me, but it was because of her that he’d bothered to pull me from a burning building.

Placing the picture face-down on the desk, I looked up, amused with how Alexander flinched beneath my gaze. Apparently, I reminded him of her, and the resulting guilt of being too late.

“You seem to be more volatile recently. Have you been taking your medication?” he said, and I barely suppressed smashing him in the face. “You know what the doctor said.”

Alexander wanted me on pills that numbed my mind and made me feel hollow. Langdon had thrown a fit when he’d seen the medication, chucking them in the toilet and laughing silently as he’d flushed them.

“I’ll take your silence as a no. Seriously Sebastian, you function because you’re in control, and right now I’m worried,” Uncle said lowly, voice dropping in concern.

“Answer the fucking question.”

Alexander sighed. “Does it matter?” He adjusted his lapels, tugging them into place. “I’ve heard you’ve dealt with the situation just fine and even came out of it with a pretty plaything, too.”

I clenched my teeth, having to force myself to relax.

“Don’t look so surprised. I have eyes and ears everywhere.”

I knew it wasn’t Caden who was gossiping, which meant he’d found out about Arabella from her visit to The Thorn last night.

“It’s poor etiquette to keep toys for too long,” he continued, clearly not smart enough to sense my spike in anger. “Dispose of her sooner rather than later.”

The last of my patience was waning. “What happened with my money, Uncle?”

I wasn’t asking out of curiosity anymore, it was annoyance. Alexander knew he’d done wrong. I could see it in the way his fingers twitched, and the vein pulsed in his forehead.

“I trusted you,” I continued, the words cutting harder than I intended. “Was that a mistake?”

“You can be so dramatic,” Alexander muttered. “Just like your mother.” Finally taking a seat, he gestured to the one opposite his desk. I continued to stand, and he sighed once more. “I see your decorum hasn’t improved.”

“Stop deflecting.”

Alexander cocked his head, his eyes hard when they held mine. “There was someone here that was purposely miscalculating, hiding money when it should’ve been flagged.”

“How long was this going on?”

“I tracked it back for almost eight months,” he admitted, clearly just as annoyed as I was. “She was taking a cut of the profits.”

“You didn’t notice for eight months ?”

Alexander’s gaze was pointed when he looked at me. “I had no reason not to trust her work. When I checked, every penny was accounted for, so she was smart in covering her tracks. Once it came to my attention, I dealt with it.”

My lips tugged up into a smirk. “You dealt with it?”

Uncle always played the part: polished cufflinks, bespoke suits with the faint cologne of money and control.

But underneath the elegance was the same rot that ran through the underworld.

He was the one who first introduced me to the big names and connections, the gangs, cartels and organisations that kept the trades open and the corrupt money moving.

“Did you get your hands dirty, Uncle?” I commented, voice smooth but laced with challenge.

He scoffed, lips curling into something just short of a sneer. “Of course not. I have people for that.” He flicked a hand toward the door, trying to dismiss me. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

There was a beat of silence, long enough for his arrogance to settle. Then I took a slow step back toward his desk, letting the tension stretch taut.

“I don’t take orders from men I bankroll,” I said, my voice quiet, but harsh. “I’ll cut you off.” I let the words sink in, each syllable deliberate. “You’ll become just another moneyless baron with a crumbling social standing, clinging to tailored suits you’ll no longer be able to afford.”

Alexander’s jaw tightened, red spreading across his cheekbones before he smirked. “You finished?” he grated out.

This was why we kept in-person meetings to a minimum. We were too alike, carved from the same cold ambition and sharp edges.

I leaned in slightly, just enough to let him know I wasn’t in the mood for games.

“Don’t fuck with my money, and I won’t make another impromptu visit.”

“Always a pleasure, Sebastian,” he grunted, already reaching for the papers on his desk. “Next time, bring my son. At least he’s more civilised.”

I didn’t bother with a reply, turning to give him my back.

“Oh, and Sebastian.”

I paused, looking over my shoulder to meet his flat, calculating gaze.

“Remember what I said. You can have your fun, but that girl’s still nothing more than a toy. Dispose of her before she becomes a problem. Or I will.”