Page 6 of Filthy Business

“No, thanks.”

I left her standing there, wine-stained and seething.

I felt something close to peace for the first time in a long time.

Chapter 3

Magnus

Over a week had passed, and I still hadn’t managed to approach Iris. I knew if I asked Benedict for advice, he’d make me suffer for it until my fucking deathbed. At one point, I’d even searched the internet for how to pursue a younger woman—big mistake. Half the results were warnings aimed at women—how to avoid older predators. I closed the browser. Never searched for anything like that again. Not on my work servers.

The world had changed a lot in the last twenty-five years. When I hooked up with Leona, it had been hormones, cockiness, and non-stop sex. No thought. No fear. Just fire. Now I couldn’t stop wondering—would I even satisfy a younger woman?

Heels clicked outside my door. I tugged at my tie, pulse ticking faster. But they faded away. My mobile rang. Luke.

“Hello, son,” I said, already bracing.

“Hey, Dad,” he muttered, sounding drowsy. I glanced at the time. Three thirty.

“So… Mum told me about the divorce—”

“I tried calling you,” I cut in.

“Uh. Yeah. I’ve been busy looking for a job,” he added, and someone giggled in the background.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. This was my fault—the cost of being an absent father.

“Luke, we got married because you were conceived. It’s time we both moved on.”

Silence.

“Mum said you’d cut me off.”

“No. I said if you didn’t get your act together, I wouldn’t leave you the company,” I replied, tapping my desk.

“So you’d still leave me the money?”

Anger flared.“How about we start weekly drug tests and discuss it then, son?” I said coldly, just as someone knocked on my door.“I have to go. I’ll call you after work.”

He started to respond, but I hung up.

They were like two peas in a pod.

The door opened, but it was only Kate.

“I’ve not seen the new girl around much,” I said casually, keeping my tone light.“How’s she doing?”

“She’s actually very clever. Reorganised every file on my computer and set up my emails in priority order. If she wasn’t interested in business law, I might’ve felt threatened,” she added with a grin.“She’s in HR at the moment.”

I swallowed—hard.

I was innocent. So far.

“HR?”

“She’s getting a feel for how the business runs before she settles into the legal team. I’ve only had good feedback from everyone.”

Clever and outgoing.