Page 64 of Illicit Games

“Anything,” they utter in unison.

“Don’t believe anything Nathan tells you. Not until you hear my side. Promise me.”

“Of course, Iris,” Bianca says.

“That goes without saying,” adds Rosalie. “Don’t worry about anything here.”

“I love you both. Bye.”

After hanging up, I twist toward Kian. He pulls both my legs onto his lap so I’m sitting sideways against the plush leather seats. Stroking up and down my thighs, he says, “I told you he wouldn’t mention the truth.”

“He won’t back down so easily, Kian.” Not with the leverage he still has over me. He will wait for the perfect moment to strike, and not before he tries to steal me back by blackmailing me.

If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that Nathan always has an ace up his sleeve. He’s not a weak opponent we can defeat so easily. He seems laid-back on the surface, but he’s just like his brother. Cunning and tenacious.

As much as I want to tell Kian about the investigation and my role at his company, I can’t. It’s too risky. I need to coax the information about the progress he’s made, so I can catch the guy first and save him from doing something reckless that could cost him his career. I also won’t let Harshita publish the article until I’ve told him everything.

If she wants to rescind the job offer, she can. I no longer care about it.

“I know,” Kian grimly agrees. “It’s why I’m going to tell him the truth.”

“About your father?”

“Yes. I don’t want to fight with him anymore, Iris,” he admits wearily. “I’m going to make him listen to me and show him proof so he believes me. It’s the only way he will let you go and realize I will never come after his legacy.”

The emotional heaviness in his voice breaks my heart. Climbing into his lap, I massage the tension away from hisshoulders. “It’s the right thing to do. You both need closure. But how will you prove you’re not lying to him?”

“I’m searching for my mother.”

I go still in shock. “You finished reading the diary?”

“No.” His hands run down my arms. “I’d rather hear it from her in person. It’s been over three decades. People change. She may not want anything to do with either me or my father.”

“What if she isn’t willing to help you? You want her there when you talk to Nathan, right?”

“Yes. Let’s hope he believes me.”

“He will,” I reply confidently. “If there’s one person he despises the most in the world, it’s his father.”

“None of this can happen unless I find my mother and convince her to speak against Rakesh.”

“Yeah,” I heave. We sit in silence before I say, “I should call my mom before she hears about what happened from someone else.”

As terrified as I am to talk to her, I need to confess the reality of my relationship with Nathan. She will be upset, but she will be on my side when I tell my dad anddadu.

“Hey,” Kian murmurs, tapping my cheek where I’m biting it on the inside until I let go. “It’s going to be okay. Don’t be nervous.”

Nodding, I prepare myself before dialing her number. With each ring, my heart travels up to my throat. I don’t climb down from Kian’s lap, needing the connection.

Just before it can go to voicemail, she picks up.

Her breathless voice trickles into my ear. “Hey,bacha. I was in the kitchen.”

“Ma,” I whisper.

“What’s wrong?” she demands, instantly noticing the tension in my voice. “Are you okay?”

I release a breath, relieved she hasn’t yet heard the news. She’s hardly active on social media, so it makes sense.