Page 102 of Ruthless Lord

She looks at her nails. “Is that what we were doing?”

“My dad.” I struggle against the need to vomit. “What are you evendoinghere?”

“It’s not obvious yet?” She laughs lightly. I’ve never heard her talk like this. The Emily I know is usually so kind and gentle, but now it’s like she’s a vicious, hateful monster. Like someone awful took over my friend’s body.

“They’re working together,” Stefano supplies.

I shake my head. “That doesn’t make sense. You were my grandfather’s assistant.”

“I was your father’s spy in your grandfather’s apartment,” Emily corrects, rolling her eyes. “But then a new opportunity presented itself.”

“This whole time, you were pretending.” I step toward her, trembling with anger. “You were lying to me.”

“I was playing you.” She seems so proud of herself. “And you were so willing to practically give me whatever I needed.”

“This is so fucking fucked up.” I ball my hands into fists, trying to make them stop shaking, but they won’t. Betrayal burns through my guts. “I thought we were friends. I thought…”

“Honestly, it’s sad. You have everything. Money, looks, a good brain, solid clothes. But poor, pathetic Charlie doesn’t have anyfriends. It was almost too easy.”

“Fuck.” I sink down to sit on the edge of the bed.

How could I have been so stupid? Emily shows me a little bit of kindness, and suddenly she’s my bestie. I should’ve known that every single person who works for my family is a vicious snake. Especially those in my grandfather’s personal apartment.

No wonder he gave her away so quickly. He probably knew she was a spy from the start.

And I blundered in like an idiot.

“Want me to kill them?” Stefano asks casually. “Might be easier that way.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Dad snarls, struggling against his handcuffs.

“Best thing for grief is a little violent revenge.”

I hold up a hand. “Not right now. But I’m not saying no.”

Emily’s smug grin fades slightly. “What do you want, Charlie? What the hell are you even doing here?”

I rub my face with both hands, trying to get control of myself. This is overwhelming on a lot of levels. But slowly, the fire in my belly starts to rekindle, and a flame of hatred consumes me.

This is the family my grandfather created. He didn’t have to turn everyone against each other, but he’s always had this sick idea about survival of the fittest and competition making everyone stronger. Instead of working together, he makes us always tear each other apart.

That’s why he made me the heir. I figured that out a while back. It wasn’t because I deserved it more than anyone else.

It was purely to piss off my father and make him work twice as hard.

My whole life’s been like this. One long struggle against the people I should care most about.

But I’ve had enough.

No more playing those games. No more doing my grandfather’s bidding.

I can end this right now.

“You two are going to get proof that Grandfather’s been the one pulling the strings from the start.”

Emily’s face falls slightly as she glances at my dad. “And how do you know that?”

I turn my back on her. Dad’s looking at me with a smug grin, still bound to the bed.