Page 94 of Logan

“Oh, she just called to give her congratulations on the deal. Nice girl. She said she’s been trying to reach you for a while, and you must be busy.”

Yeah. Busy not answering that extortionist witch. I clench my jaw and take a seat across from him. “What else did she say?”

“She asked me to tell you to return her calls because it’s important.” He shrugs.

“Important?” I echo, my mind racing.

“Yes. She said she’s worried that you’re working too hard. That you need to make more time to spend at home. I told her it’s fine, that you always come visit and update me. And here you are.” He smiles at me.

“That’s what she said? That I need to make more time to spend with you? In those exact words?” I lean forward, elbows on my knees.

“Yes, something like that. Is something wrong?” He frowns, finally picking up on my agitation.

“No, everything’s fine. I’ll get back to her.”

I update him on the latest details of the deal, trying to keep my tone even. He, as usual, doesn’t agree with all mydecisions, especially my idea to invest in biotech. Which leads to arguments and friction, both of us getting more heated.

“I’m running Valeur Technologies,” I remind him again, my voice rising. “That means I get the final say. That is unless you want to appoint someone else in my place.” I cross my arms over my chest. The threat is usually enough to make him back down.

Dad’s dream is for his children to continue running the company. When Cora decided she wasn’t interested in going that route, it broke his heart. Now he’s even more determined that Liam, Lucas, and I continue down the path he mapped out for us. But this time, he keeps arguing, so I leave the house later than I wanted, slamming the door behind me.

I get into the car and pull out my phone. I’ve been dodging all of Georgina’s calls until now, but I was naïve to think a woman like her would give up that easily. Her hint was sharp and clear.

“I see my message got through to you,” she purrs when she answers, the smug smile in her voice coming through loud and clear.

“Calling my dad is a new low,” I grit out, gripping the phone tighter.

“You didn’t get back to me. I had no choice.”

“What do you want, Georgina?” I snap, losing patience.

“What do you think I want? Money.”

“I gave you ten million.” I blink, a headache throbbing behind my eyes.

“And it’s gone,” she says flatly.

I huff out a breath. “You blew through ten million in a year?”

“I have a lifestyle to maintain. Don’t pretend you spendless than me. You love your fancy cars more than anything. I know you.”

“I don’t get it. You come from a wealthy family. Why do you need to risk extorting money from me?” I try to keep my voice steady, but my control is slipping.

She falls silent. The only sound is her breathing on the other end of the line.

“Georgina?” I pull the phone away for a second to see if the call disconnected, then press it back to my ear.

“Dad lost the money. We have nothing.” Her voice is so quiet I almost don’t hear her.

What? They’re one of the richest families I know, probably more so than the Valeurs. I blink, trying to process this new information. “How can that be?”

“He made some failed investments and then tried to recoup the amounts and fell for some Ponzi scheme. Lost it all. Our entire existence now is spent trying to hide what happened.” She sighs, and for a moment, she sounds tired, defeated.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Maybe you should adjust your lifestyle to the new situation.” I try to keep the judgment out of my tone, but I’m not sure I succeed.

“You think?” She laughs bitterly. “I’m not going to live like one of those common folk, running around like rats from place to place. For fuck’s sake, they even ride the bus with other people. It’s appalling.” Disgust drips from every word.

Sloane sits next to me on the bus, her thigh touching mine, as she chats and tells me about her life, her eyes sparkling with animation. Her hair brushes my shoulder as she leans in to point at something out the window.