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Chapter 5
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Queen of the West Chapter 6
MONIQUEIn my apartment, I leaned back against the plush cushions, thinking about the events of the day. Events that were so much more than all I'd done during my days in hiding put together. The weight of everything I'd set in motion hit me like unpacked luggage in my closet. Of course, it was overwhelming; I mean, I had only just found the man who took my family from me.Richardson was rummaging through my kitchen, maybe trying to fix us a drink. "How did they respond?" I asked as he joined me in the living room and handed me a cup of tea.He sank into the armchair across from me, his eyes steady. "The message landed just as expected. Most of them didn't know what to say. Liam, though... you saw him just before he left the casino. He had plenty on his mind, but he kept it bottled up. Didn't want to crack in front of everyone."A small smile tugged at my lips. "Good. That's what I wanted." I took a slow sip, feeling the tea's warmth seep through me. "Phase two, then." I tried to soft
Queen of the West Chapter 7
LIAMThe moment I rounded the corner and saw her, my heart nearly stopped. It was...her. I had my men fucking combing the entire city for her without any luck. Of course, I wouldn't tell her how obsessed I'd been trying to track her down.But here she was, standing in my building, looking at me like she belonged.Jesus fucking Christ, she was more than I remembered—even more striking in the light of day, her presence pulling all the air from the room, just like she had done at the club the other night. I caught myself staring, my mind spinning at how the hell she ended up here, of all places. For a second, the shock must have shown on my face, but I quickly concealed it."You," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, though I couldn't quite hide the flicker of surprise.Her smile was slow, almost teasing, a knowing curve of her lips that did something to my mind and body. I couldn't tell if I was irritated or intrigued by this foreign disturbance from such a sinfully gorgeous woman. M
Queen of the West Chapter 8
MONIQUEThe moment his words sank in, I felt like my body and mind were two people in the middle of an argument. Shock coursed through me, cold and sharp, but there was this unsettling heat that simmered beneath my skin, unwanted and uninvited. My mind screamed at me to push him away, to break the tension and tell him how disrespectful he was being, but my body—traitorous as it was—responded to his intensity in ways I hated to admit.I clenched my fists to steady myself, forcing my breath to even out. I couldn't let him know the effect he had on me. Plus, what was I expecting? Coming in here and giving him a strip show. I had acted on impulse.Whatever happened to my intelligent strategies?"What's your name?" he asked, his voice softer now but still laced with that dark edge. He was too close, too intense, and every fiber of me felt like it was being drawn into his orbit.I hesitated, my mind racing. If I told him my real name, the last name that would ring a bell in the back of his
Queen of the West Chapter 9
MONIQUEI wasn't one to use my body to get what I wanted, or in this sense, I would call it 'female privilege.' But I had started to figure out that I could get Liam wrapped around my finger if I agreed to play his little cat-and-mouse game. He already made it clear that he wanted to make me his "sex plaything." But how would I be that and still keep close tabs on his business affairs? I was handed the easy route on a platter of gold.We were in the middle of a meeting with the hotel contractor and licensor, the two men seated opposite Liam's massive desk while I stood by his side, ready to pass him any documents that required his signature. Liam was listening intently, his expression as sharp as ever, but I could feel his attention slipping—more toward me than the men sitting across from him. I could tell he was fighting it, trying hard to keep his focus on the business at hand, but every time I bent down or leaned closer to hand him a pen or paper, his eyes dipped lower, following th
Queen of the West Chapter 10
I got home from work, the tension of the day still clinging to me. I dropped my bag on the couch as I spoke on the phone with Richardson. I had to update him on my progress in gathering information about Liam. I told him everything I discovered about his new hotel. Richardson also had new and valuable information about one of my father's leading and old suppliers from South America.After my parents died, Don Antonio had laid everything out for me—the business partners, the suppliers, the clients. He showed me who my parents worked with and who they trusted. But after their deaths, those deals vanished almost overnight. Most of the partners backed out, too wary to keep working with a family whose power had crumbled and were suddenly killed.For five of the ten years I spent under the Don's guidance, I studied those old connections. I learned who my parents' true allies were. The Don tried to help me rebuild, to regain some of the partnerships my family had lost, but it was a hard stru
Queen of the West Chapter 11
LIAMBy the time the day had finally slowed down, most of my employees had already filed out of the building. I glanced at the digital clock on my computer—just shy of ten PM. It had been one of those days, the kind where the hours bled into each other, swallowed by meetings, calls, and decisions.I'd sent Monique home at the usual closing time. I knew if I kept her around any longer, I wouldn't be able to resist. There was something about the way she walked around, all businesslike and professional, that drove me to the edge. The casual way she acted like she didn't feel the heat simmering between us only made it worse. If she stayed past office hours, I knew how it would end—with her bent over my desk, that red dress hiked up, and all semblance of professionalism shattered.I wasn't ready to play that card just yet. I was still trying to figure her out—what made her tick, what she wanted, why she was really here. But one thing was certain: keeping her close was part of the plan. She
Queen of the West Chapter 12
The rush of satisfaction as I watched Liam's jaw tighten felt good. His eyes flickered with a mix of frustration and desire. The way he looked at me like he was on the verge of losing control, made the teasing game I'd started all the more enjoyable. It was dangerous, I knew, but there was something thrilling about keeping him right at the edge, never quite letting him have what he clearly wanted.I had to bite back a smile when he leaned in, just close enough that I could feel his breath against my lips. His eyes darkened, and I knew he was about to kiss me—about to break that final barrier between us. But before he could, I glanced down at my tablet, lifting it between us like a shield."Oh, it's an alert from Mr. Romano, your accountant," I said, feigning innocence as I stepped back, glancing at the notification.Liam cursed under his breath, eyes narrowing as his hand clenched into a fist at his side. I knew he hated the interruption—especially during this—but business came first,
Queen of the West Chapter 13
MONIQUEA few weeks passed in a blur of work and routine. Liam and I settled into a rhythm—one that felt almost too natural. But this particular day, the tension and heat between us had started over something small—a missed deadline, a minor setback in the tidying up of Liam's new hotel. He even criticized my work several times.By afternoon, everything felt more heightened as the minutes passed. His mood was something different, with back and forth calls with different people concerning the project. When his effort had begun to seem fruitless, he decided to go to the site himself and supervise firsthand. Liam was raging at the contractor for leaving out information about a snag in receiving painting materials and went ahead to urge him to sign licensing for an incomplete building. He blamed me for not keeping a close watch on the updates. Even though I had only been working closely with the project for a few weeks."You should have caught these delays and lies and informed me. That's
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