Silence Reveals Hidden Answers’ by Michael Anderson novel Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Baxter Prescott.

“Do you have my suitcase?” I ask into the phone, pacing the length of the villa.

“Yes. I do.”

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“Good. You’ll get your money in a few hours. And for your own sake, stay out of public view. Do you understand?”

There’s a pause and it’s too long.

“It’s more complicated now, sir. You didn’t tell me the owner of the casino was your brother, the Enforcer. He sent a series of boys to find me and they ended up burning my father’s convenience store to the ground. If I knew…I wouldn’t have-”

I snort over the phone. The Enforcer. These damn New Yorkers just keep giving him stupid names that make him feel powerful.

“The money we agreed on has to increase.”

I roll my eyes, stopping by the window. “And how much more are you thinking?”

“At least two hundred thousand dollars.”

I scoff. “For a convenience store?”

“The entire building is gone, sir. It was my father’s livelihood-

“Listen,” I cut in. “I have a wedding to deal with. I’m not paying that much for a burnt–down shop. Reduce the amount, then we’ll talk. Keep that briefcase well until I get back to New York, don’t call me except it’s an emergency.”

I end the call before he can beg. Let him sit with it…desperation always brings numbers down. This mess is Nisha’s fault

anyway.

She’s the one who insisted on that useless lawyer to draft the documents of our contract marriage. Somewhere along the way, the original documents ended up in my father’s rival’s hands.

The lawyer sold us out to Rick Owens who is. I should have been more careful. If I hadn’t stolen them back when I did, that opportunistic weasel would have handed them straight to the news. The headlines would have destroyed any chance of me taking over from my father after his retirement.

The scandal would have been so bad that I’m sure dad would have given the title of CEO to Harvey so easily. But I have them now. A soft chime from the room service bell pulls me from the thought.

I open the door to the villa’s private chef, who wheels in a cart laden with eggs, pastries, fruit, green juice and the rest. I nod, tip him, and wheel the cart inside. I’ve been thinking about Jenny all morning and so, I’ve decided to surprise her with breakfast in her villa.

It’s a classic move that’s worked magically on several women in the past.

But as the chef leaves, I think about Jenny back in high school. Now that I think about it, she was always beautiful. Of course, now… she’s become womanlier. I’m growing… feelings for her. It’s a first.

I wheel the cart myself toward her villa. The morning sun is already warm as I press the bell, then casually push my hair back, folding my arms in a picture of relaxed confidence as I wait.

I picture her opening the door. Sleepy. Soft. Surprised.

Chapter 18

The door opens and it’s not Jennifer.

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It’s Harvey. Pushing messy hair from his forehead. He shuts the door behind him immediately, like he doesn’t want me seeing anything inside. Something in my hands goes numb.

No. No fucking way.

My eyes lock onto the scratches down his neck…deep, angry red lines that could only come from frantic nails. Jennifer was a virgin just last night. And she let someone like Harvey wreck that innocence? He has never beaten me at anything. Ever.

“You fucked her.” I say in disbelief.

Instead, Harvey looks at the covered cart.

“What are you doing here? I didn’t know you did breakfast delivery?”

“You fucked her-”

“Language,” He warns me. “I don’t refer to Jennifer like that, and you know it. She’s asleep. If you’re going to be angry, go somewhere and throw a tantrum. Don’t do it here, alright, boy?”

My head feels like it wants to blow off.

I see the gun beneath his untucked shirt. Because he’s a casino owner, he has the license to carry weapons. So, he came back from the club and went straight to fuck sweet, innocent Jennifer?

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The heat in my chest turns violent. She was mine first. She loved me first. She looked at me first. I can still see Jennifer’s wide, innocent eyes watching the stripper on stage just last night! And in this morning, he put himself in her-

I see movement at the farther side of the lawn. My parents, relatives and Nisha’s family are rounding the path, close enough to witness a scene if I choose to make one.

I swear, I am going to ruin him. With a violent shove, I push the entire cart crashing onto its side. Plates crash. Juice spills. Silverware scatters across the grass.

I bend and snatch a steak knife from the ground.

“What are you doing?” Harvey asks with laziness, underestimating me to the bone because he’s some fucking enforcer who controls New York’s biggest Casino.

That’s the mistake.

I knock his gun sideways at his waist and fire a bullet into the wall. Before the echo dies, I drop the gun and drive the steak knife hard into the skin of my own forearm. It’s shallow but convincing. Blood blooms instantly.

One second. That’s all it takes to build the perfect scene.

“Are you fucking crazy?” Harvey shouts, scrambling, grabbing the gun again, backing me into the wall like none of this makes sense to him. But he doesn’t learn, does he? I did this to him once on a rainy night years ago. I can do it again.

Jennifer appears. She sees me first with blood already streaking down my arm. Then she sees Harvey with the gun in his hand as he pins me to the wall.

I can hear my mother’s scream from across the field. I shove Harvey back, just enough to break free, and I stumble away from him, clutching my bleeding arm as if fleeing for my life.

“What happened!?” Dad demands.

One look at my bleeding arm. One look at Harvey, the mafia son standing there with a gun, with tattoos peeking from his

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Chapter 18

collar is all I need.

“You… you shot your brother?!”

“I didn’t!” Harvey snarls, staring at me like he finally understands what I’ve done.

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