Read Online The Art of Retaliation by Arabella Kingsley - Free Book Online
Authors: Arabella Kingsley
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a business
contract for a takeover but to close an old criminal case, the very case that
had caused her to be disillusioned with criminal law and leave a successful
career with the Crown Prosecution Service for the city. Not even Maxine or her own brother in
whom she confided everything knew and that was the way she was going to keep
it. Only Raymond Matisse and a few
select others were involved. He’d
contacted her secretly after meeting her to negotiate the take over of her
client’s company. He was a man who
checked out everyone he was working with and he’d learned of her interest in a
man from her past as a Prosecutor who had evaded a murder charge in a case she
had been dealing with. The same man who was now laundering drug money through their
accounts via one of the company’s board members.
Raymond Matisse was going to work with her to find evidence on the
man for his laundering and the murder. She was going to ensure not even Stephane knew
about it. Her hold on her emotions
tightened again as she realized how important her escape was and closed her
mind to the billionaire’s manipulation and humiliation. Relieved with the return of her control,
she took a cool shower and dressed in shorts and a sleeveless summer top.
She made her way downstairs out the back of the house into the
grounds, taking time to stop next to a fountain at the top of the cascading
steps the led beyond the house.
Stephane was staring
out of the long windows, bored with the discussion his business colleagues were
conducting on their position in the French market and over the world in a
meeting in his study. His mind was
too preoccupied with thoughts of that morning and Mara. Her surrender had been so sweet and
revenge satisfying.
His eyes widened and a warm glow radiated around his body as she
came into view standing at the fountain. The voices of the men and women in the room were distant echoes
retreating. Discreetly he strained
to obtain a better view watching her dab water on her forehead and the top of
her chest from the fountain to cool the heat of the day on her body. She stood at the top of the steps
removing her sunglasses to get a better look around. He found himself nervous, excited with
anticipation that they would lock eyes.
The billionaire held his
gaze steady as she turned her head and felt a surprised jolt of electricity
surge through his veins when her eyes met his. His mouth turned upwards in a smile that
deflated quickly when her eyes narrowed and a scowl lit her lips.
Mara tossed her head regally into the air and stalked off down the
steps into the grounds. Embarrassed
his head dipped away from the window only to raise to
find Leon looking out of the window watching Mara disappear into the
grounds. He’d seen the whole
thing. He shook his head at Stephane .
“She isn’t worth it.”
Stephane ignored
him and turned his attention back to the meeting taking control of the flow of
conversation.
Mara continued her walk through the grounds. There were a few clouds gathering and
every sign that there would be a storm at some point. It wasn’t a cause for worry; she would
have walked to the boundary of the grounds and back before it started, according
to the tourist map she had picked up from the hall for visitors that were
allowed during some months. She had
to know what was beyond the house and whether she could reach help. It took a whole forty minutes to reach
the perimeter wall walking in a straight line, through the ornamental gardens,
the small water garden, and an orange grove and along a canal.
The stone wall stood tall and forbidding in
front of her, a testament to the billionaire’s strength and power. She looked for signs of crumbling or
where it had been replaced by a fence but it was as
though recent extensive repairs had been made. Mara gripped the vine that
contract for a takeover but to close an old criminal case, the very case that
had caused her to be disillusioned with criminal law and leave a successful
career with the Crown Prosecution Service for the city. Not even Maxine or her own brother in
whom she confided everything knew and that was the way she was going to keep
it. Only Raymond Matisse and a few
select others were involved. He’d
contacted her secretly after meeting her to negotiate the take over of her
client’s company. He was a man who
checked out everyone he was working with and he’d learned of her interest in a
man from her past as a Prosecutor who had evaded a murder charge in a case she
had been dealing with. The same man who was now laundering drug money through their
accounts via one of the company’s board members.
Raymond Matisse was going to work with her to find evidence on the
man for his laundering and the murder. She was going to ensure not even Stephane knew
about it. Her hold on her emotions
tightened again as she realized how important her escape was and closed her
mind to the billionaire’s manipulation and humiliation. Relieved with the return of her control,
she took a cool shower and dressed in shorts and a sleeveless summer top.
She made her way downstairs out the back of the house into the
grounds, taking time to stop next to a fountain at the top of the cascading
steps the led beyond the house.
Stephane was staring
out of the long windows, bored with the discussion his business colleagues were
conducting on their position in the French market and over the world in a
meeting in his study. His mind was
too preoccupied with thoughts of that morning and Mara. Her surrender had been so sweet and
revenge satisfying.
His eyes widened and a warm glow radiated around his body as she
came into view standing at the fountain. The voices of the men and women in the room were distant echoes
retreating. Discreetly he strained
to obtain a better view watching her dab water on her forehead and the top of
her chest from the fountain to cool the heat of the day on her body. She stood at the top of the steps
removing her sunglasses to get a better look around. He found himself nervous, excited with
anticipation that they would lock eyes.
The billionaire held his
gaze steady as she turned her head and felt a surprised jolt of electricity
surge through his veins when her eyes met his. His mouth turned upwards in a smile that
deflated quickly when her eyes narrowed and a scowl lit her lips.
Mara tossed her head regally into the air and stalked off down the
steps into the grounds. Embarrassed
his head dipped away from the window only to raise to
find Leon looking out of the window watching Mara disappear into the
grounds. He’d seen the whole
thing. He shook his head at Stephane .
“She isn’t worth it.”
Stephane ignored
him and turned his attention back to the meeting taking control of the flow of
conversation.
Mara continued her walk through the grounds. There were a few clouds gathering and
every sign that there would be a storm at some point. It wasn’t a cause for worry; she would
have walked to the boundary of the grounds and back before it started, according
to the tourist map she had picked up from the hall for visitors that were
allowed during some months. She had
to know what was beyond the house and whether she could reach help. It took a whole forty minutes to reach
the perimeter wall walking in a straight line, through the ornamental gardens,
the small water garden, and an orange grove and along a canal.
The stone wall stood tall and forbidding in
front of her, a testament to the billionaire’s strength and power. She looked for signs of crumbling or
where it had been replaced by a fence but it was as
though recent extensive repairs had been made. Mara gripped the vine that
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