Page 108 of Lucas

“There’s no one around for miles.”

“What if someone shows up unexpectedly?”

“Then they’ll have an interesting experience.” I push her skirt up, revealing her thong.

“Red, Wifey? You wore red for me?”

I spread her legs, pulling her thong aside before she realizes what’s happening. “Are you wet for me, Ava? What will I find when I slip my fingers inside you?”

“Try and see,” she taunts me.

Fuck yes. I lean down, kissing her while my fingers play with her clit, making her writhe. Then I slide one finger inside and pull it out, bringing it to my mouth and sucking on it.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

AVA

“Father.” I stand with a smile on my face. He’s here. He came to the office. Does this mean he’s ready to talk? Or did something happen? “I’m glad you came.”

His face hardens, his eyes flashing with anger. “I'm here because I've been informed of your recent activities. I still have people loyal to me. Did you truly believe you could conceal such matters from me?”

“What?” What is he talking about? I don’t understand.

“You're divesting our assets? The very foundation of this company? Have you completely lost your mind?” His voice rises, echoing off the office walls.

“I had to cut costs so I could keep the employees and not lay them off.” I square my shoulders, meeting his furious gaze head-on.

“No, you didn’t have to. I can’t believe you’re even mydaughter. Perhaps your mother was less than faithful. She must have been,” he mutters under his breath. “You can’t possibly be my biological child. You’re so stupid.”

Is he serious? “I know what I’m doing. I studied. I have a degree.”

“You think that attending some prestigious university qualifies you to manage? You don’t need a degree to lead, you need street smarts. You need to know how to exploit situations to your advantage. You’re not capable of running Gant Construction. You’re a nobody. A failure. You’ll drive this company into the ground, and I won’t allow it. I made a terrible mistake letting you take over. A mistake I intend to fix right now,” he shouts, his face turning red. “I just hope it’s not too late.”

I struggle not to let him see how much those words hurt, curling my hands into fists until my nails bite into my palms.

“I’m saving Gant Construction, and I’m going to return the stolen money. I saw the numbers. I know what you did.”

“What do you think you know?” He laughs, a harsh, mocking sound. “You understand nothing. I'm engaged in a game of strategy, one you're ill-equipped to comprehend. I've taken every necessary measure to preserve our family's standing. And I assure you, should you breathe a word of this to anyone, you'll find yourself implicated alongside me.”

“Keep our family standing? Are you serious? We never had a family. It was only ever you. You and you and you. All you care about is yourself. You never cared about me. Nothing you did was for me.” My voice shakes, years of pent-up resentment spilling out.

“I’m going to take the company back and try to salvage what you’ve ruined,” he yells, slamming his hand on my desk.

I flinch at the impact but hold my ground, lifting my chin in defiance. “I won’t let you. I won’t let you destroy everything I’ve done. This company is mine now. Mine to lead, mine to save.”

We stare at each other, the air crackling with tension. In this moment, we’re not father and daughter. We’re enemies, two titans locked in a battle of wills.

He scoffs, a harsh, grating sound that scrapes against my raw nerves. “You haven't the faintest idea of what you're doing. You're nothing more than a naïve child masquerading as a businesswoman. You lack the fortitude required for leadership, the capacity to make difficult decisions. You're as weak and ineffectual as your mother was.”

The mention of my mother, the woman whose life was cut short bringing me into this world, ignites a fury in me so intense it steals my breath. “Don’t you dare talk bad about her.”

He takes a step closer, looming over me, trying to intimidate me with his size, his presence. But I refuse to cower, refuse to shrink before him. Not anymore.

“Get out,” I say again, my voice low and tight with rage. “Get out of my office, get out of my company, get out of my life. I’m done with you, with your lies and your manipulations. I’m done letting you control me, belittle me, make me feel small and worthless.”

“You can’t kick me out,” he growls, his face twisted with anger and something else, something darker, more desperate. “I built this company from nothing. It’s mine, it will always be mine. And so are you. My daughter, my blood, my legacy.”

A harsh laugh escapes me, brittle and jagged. “I’m not yours. I never was. You never saw me, never knew me. Youonly saw what you wanted to see, a pawn in your games, a tool for your ambition. But I’m so much more than that. I’m strong, I’m smart, I’m capable. And I don’t need you. I don’t want you.”