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The Billionaire's Pawn 24
LONDON “So you’re not a jealous type?” I rolled my eyes. “What’s your point, Cade?” “Interesting.” Was he trying to annoy me? Well, then he started to get under my skin. “Will you stop it?” He smirked at me, squeezing my thigh a little. “I kinda like it when you are unbothered, but for guys like us, sometimes, we want to make sure our girls care for us.” “Gee. There are other ways to determine whether we care about you. What might your ex have to say about it?” “I lost my virginity in my junior year?” “Wow.” I stared at him for a while. “In college, Vanderford.” “What?” She looked surprised. “Yeah.” He wasn’t even ashamed to admit it. “You’re kidding, right?” “I wish I was. Remember my picture with Dad?” “You and your braces?” She grinned. “Yes. Well, I still had it until sophomore. Imagine Cade, tall, skinny, and studious with braces, minus the glasses. I was basically a nerd. I only gained muscles when I enlisted myself.” “You? Skinny?” She arched a brow in disbelief
The Billionaire's Pawn 25
STRIKER She was still staring at the ceiling, tugging her bottom lip between her teeth. I leaned in and let her feel the lightest caress of my lips on her exposed flat tummy. Her muscles contracted against the touch. “Really? None?” She shook her head. Okay. Challenge accepted. I swept my tongue onto the belly button. Her body moved, her eyes squeezed shut, and her toes curled. “Come on, baby. Give it to me,” I said as I teased the tip of my tongue on her belly button in a sensual dance that made her pussy wet, and I could see behind the black negligee that her nipples puckered and as hard as pebbles. I moved up, hovering over her body, supporting my elbows, and made sure I wouldn’t crash her with my weight. “You’re unfair, Vanderford.” I planted a kiss on her chin. “You were mean.” “I was not.” I kissed her again. “Let me just make it up to you.” “You always do that while you wouldn’t even let me try.” “I swear, you can do anything you want. You’ll get tired of me.” Wh
The Billionaire's Pawn 26
LONDON Moses Braddson is his father. It kept repeating in my head. Wow. That was the biggest revelation I had in a while, and it was crazy. I mean, come on. Half of Striker Cade’s blood founded the Hover Company, one of the top Aircraft industrial companies in the world, and the Hover subsidiaries such as Hover Defense and Hover Space and Security. Moses owned seventy-five percent and was the Chairperson, CEO, and President. He literally ran the entire Hover and was a total badass. “He is your father?” I asked again to make sure I heard him right the first time. “Moses Braddson, is your father?” He nodded silently. “Does Tate know?” “Yeah. Dad was the one who told me everything.” His eyes were still glued to the tv screen, showing how the firefighters, ambulances, and police cars rushed to the crash site. “Are you okay? Do you wanna sit down?” I rubbed his arms. “Yeah. Thanks.” He sat on the couch while I went to the kitchen to get him something to drink. “Here.” I offered
The Billionaire's Pawn 27
STRIKER “Go ahead. See your father.” It still rang in my ear. Beatreigh, my aunt. It was even strange to meet her face to face. I wondered if her son, Lake knew about my existence. “Striker, wait,” she called me again. “Yeah.” She held me and put something into my palm. “Keep it.” When I checked it, it was a man’s ring. “Is this his?” “Yes.” “I can’t.” I offered it back. “Keep this with you. You can give this to him when he wakes up. I won’t stay long anyway. I leave as soon as I do what I promised to Dad.” “It’s not just a ring. It’s Braddson’s ring. Whether you like it or not, you’re the Braddson heir.” “Well, let me spell it out, Beatreigh. He’s still alive, and I’m just a mistake. I’m not seeing him again after this. So, please, take it.” Beatreigh just gave me a smile with a light nod. “He never took that off, but it had to when he went for MRI. And hate him all you can, but fifty percent of Braddson’s blood is in your veins. He is your father, and I am your aunt. Wher
The Billionaire's Pawn 28
LONDON He was lifting weights when he spoke. “Dad wants me to see Moses again.” Since I’d been staying at his house, he had to share his mini gym with me. I lowered the speed of the treadmill. “What’s your thought about it?” This topic was sensitive for him, so I tried not to suggest anything. “I think I did my part the last time, but at the same time, if Moses wants to see me, I’d give it a try.” “Are you doing this for Tate or for you?” There you go, I just did it. “Sorry.” He sat down, wiping off the sweat on his forehead with his shirt. “I don’t know, Vanderford.” He then linked his fingers together as if he wanted to tell me something, but finding the right words was hard. “Come on, sweetheart. You know I will always have your back, whatever decisions you make. I would never judge you.” His smile was so sweet as he met my gaze. “What’s that smile for?” I couldn’t help but smile back. “You just made me smile.” He came to me, and I had to pause my workout and kiss him on
The Billionaire's Pawn 29
STRIKER “Welcome, sir Striker.” A butler in a white and black uniform welcomed me. “He’s been expecting you.” “Thank you.” I didn’t ask how. I didn’t set an appointment to see Moses, but here I was, walking into the lion’s den. Moses’ estate was like I’d never seen in the neighborhood. A late renaissance-inspired luxurious castle in the middle of the woods, but I had passed with three levels of security. Passing through the longest hallway alone was tiring, but the whole place looked rich in king-inspired interiors. “How many rooms are in this house?” “This one alone, sir, has thirty-three.” “Is that his lucky number or something?” The butler smiled. “So when you say alone, just this side?” “Yes, sir.” I nodded. I didn’t know if I should be amused or amazed. We stopped in front of the elevator. “I’d like to walk if you don’t mind.” “Of course, sir.” We climbed up through the red-carpeted grand staircases. I couldn’t help but admire the whole place. I’d been to palaces, c
The Billionaire's Pawn 30
LONDON “I can’t do this anymore.” My chin trembled as I looked up at the dark sky that seemed to empathize with my situation. “What do you mean?” Linden leaned his elbows against his knees as I got his full attention. “I can’t tell you.” I dropped my gaze and felt so guilty and embarrassed. “I understand. If there’s only one thing I’m sure of, everything’s gonna be okay.” “You don’t know that.” I wiped a single tear that rolled down my cheek. “I know it because we’re here for you. You’re not alone in dealing with it. My buddy will not allow you to mope alone.” “It’s Dad.” My voice cracked. My chest squeezed tight at the thought that I would still push through the wedding because I was selfish and was doing it for myself. “You don’t have to tell me, London, but if you would take my advice, tell Cade everything. A foundation of a strong relationship is trust. Build it with trust, and you both are gonna be okay, even if everything surrounding you seems to start falling apart.” “
The Billionaire's Pawn 31
STRIKER “I’d like you to take a look at it if you have time. And tell me about your idea.” Why the fucking hell he trusted me so much with such a huge project? I mean, what did I know about it? In my entire life, I was satisfied with a job that paid my bills. Things only changed lately, and I needed a regular office job before I got married. Although I had investments, savings, and properties, I never depended on dividend income. I still needed a job. “I doubt I can help. I don’t have knowledge about that.” “You haven’t checked it.” “Fine.” After our dinner, his doctor came for a regular check-up. He advised the same thing. Moses needed bed rest, but we seemed to share the same DNA. He was stubborn as fuck. He went to bed after he took his medicine. As soon as the doctor left, he got up, complaining to me. “I’m getting sicker in this house.” “Too bad because you are not going anywhere.” He joined me in the same spot and sat in the wheelchair. “I’d rather spend my time with
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The Billionaire's Pawn Epilogue
STRIKER One year later It had been a spectacular year for London and me. Two hundred fifty people who were very dear to our family attended our wedding in front of the spring, followed by the reception in the golf field of my father’s estate. That was an extraordinary day for me, London, and our family. Rome, Prince Thayer, and the princesses were even there for us. And then we spent a few days on my father’s property in Verona, then Switzerland. Our honeymoon ended in Guardion before we headed home. One thing we hadn’t accomplished yet was to have a child. We were patient, though. And we were not giving up. “Maybe we should stop trying.” I ran my finger against her arm as I peppered kisses on her shoulder. “What do you mean?” She was still giving me her back. “We’re pressuring ourselves to get pregnant. It’s stressing you.” “So, you mean to say it’s my fault—” “No, baby. That’s not what I mean. Let’s leave it be. If we can get pregnant, then that’s amazing. If not, it’s fin
The Billionaire's Pawn 82
LONDON “Congratulations.” Neke hugged me tight. After successfully launching our limited products, our expansion in Asia was already taking place. Our sales skyrocketed—our products were in demand. We expanded to other e-commerce retailers all over the globe. I finally bought a fifteen percent share of the company. And I’d been busy as hell, not that I was complaining because life was good. Striker and I were great, even if we only had a dinner date once a month. We supported each other. We were a team. That was what made our marriage work despite our busy lives, and we still ended up cuddling at night. Tonight, the fashion show was a massive success, making all my sleepless nights, shoulder aches, and missed dinner dates worthwhile. It was midnight, and we were at the party to celebrate our success at the Night Stalker Club. “Why is it everyone is congratulating me?” It wasn’t me. It’s the team.” I went to the DJ and grabbed the mic. He shut the music off. “Excuse me! Everyon
The Billionaire's Pawn 81
STRIKER “You look stunning tonight, my wife.” I strolled my gaze at her from head to toe. She picked the black glittery floor-length gown and put on a set of diamond jewelry to complete the look. Her makeup wasn’t overdone, just the way I liked it. The hairstylist just enhanced the natural wave of her hair. “You’ve said that three times already.” She smiled at me, the kind when she was amused. “You’re not bad yourself, husband. And I have something for you.” “You don’t have to give me anything.” “I want to, sweetheart.” She picked up something from the drawer and pulled out the box. “It just took me a while to find it.” “What’s this?” I knew it was a watch box. When I opened it, it looked vintage. “A vintage watch.” “Close to antique. I know you can afford to buy the most expensive watch in the world, but this one is different. Special.” I carefully picked it up. “Everything is always special if it comes from you, Vanderford.” “Check out the bottom.” I did as she told me. The
The Billionaire's Pawn 80
LONDON“Hey, guys. It’s been a while since I last posted a short clip. As the 3rd Anniversary of LH is around the corner, I want to celebrate it by sharing these achievements and successes with all of you and those less fortunate. My husband, Cade, and I had been working on these special designs that are very close to my heart. Well, actually.” I chuckled. “My husband primarily did all the hard work since he designed them. Even before we met, he’d been active in charities, helping less fortunate kids, and he never bragged about it. Before he showed me the designs, he only asked for one thing, that all his share in the sales would proceed to his chosen charities.” I picked the sample of the bag and sneakers. “These are limited items. We called Cade Sneakers and Marguerite Bag. With your purchase, you’re already supporting. Thank you, and enjoy your day.”I watched the video I posted twelve hours ago, which had already reached half a million views.For the past weeks, life had been grea
The Billionaire's Pawn 79
STRIKER “What the fuck, London?” I just cursed right into her face. Just great. How did I become this person in front of her? I didn’t know. I felt like I’d reached the point where I had lost all my patience with humanity. “We’ve talked about secrecy many times. Look what happened?” I was even more pissed when she didn’t even look at me. “Do you even hear me? Are you even listening to me?” “I did. I do. Will you stop cursing me and lower your voice?” “Not until you understand what I am saying until you learn. We just had our life back, and I thought we were already over this. When are you gonna trust me? When will you open up to me and just fucking tell me if something is bothering you or someone is stalking you? You know the difference, right?” “For the love of God. What in the hell do you not understand in the part I was going to tell you tonight?” “Yeah, when it’s too late. Did you really date that guy?” “Oh, my God!” She shook her head as she propped a hand on her hip. “Not
The Billionaire's Pawn 78
LONDON Terzo had no remorse. If I wasn’t there, he could have tortured Magnus to death. I flinched as he threw water at Magnus’ face to wake him up. Magnus jolted, and the chair he was tied to shook. “What the fuck?” He swallowed and found himself tied to a chair. His eyes widened as he looked at Terzo, and his face fell on me. “Did you actually kiss her with that mouth?” Terzo seemed breezy as if he’d interrogated people a thousand times. “Who’s this guy, London?” He became more frightened to see Terzo was calmer. “You should have left her alone, dude. I mean, who does that? Kidnapping your ex for money?” He chuckled. I couldn’t believe he found torturing someone fun. “Let me go, asshole.” He wiggled as he tried to let himself loose, his eyes pinning at the man beside me. Terzo tsked. “Wrong answer, dude.” When he pulled the gun behind him, it began to rattle me. “Don’t. I told you I’m not gonna be involved in this.” “Very well.” I let go a breath when he put the gun on his
The Billionaire's Pawn 77
STRIKER “I’m with Terzo. He wants you to come to this address.” “What? Baby, what do you mean you’re with Terzo.” My heart nearly stopped hearing she was with Terzo. Why in the fucking hell was Terzo doing with my wife? “Just come to the address. I’m sending the location to you now.” “Baby? Vanderford?” She hung up, and I stared at the phone screen, frightened. “You okay?” Linden nudged me. He was calling my name, but his voice felt like a buzz. I drew a deep breath and got up. “Let’s go.” “Where?” He followed me even if I hadn’t answered his question. “Son of a fucking bitch.” My blood boiled. My rage made me shake. “Man, what’s going on?” He held me in my arm. “You look like you are about to murder someone. If we will commit a crime at least, let’s be prepared. Breathe, man. Tell me what happened?” “Are you both leaving?” Dad came. “Yes, Dad. I’ll see you later.” I inwardly groaned. “I thought we would have dinner together.” “I’m sorry. Something came up.” I couldn’
The Billionaire's Pawn 76
LONDON I just stopped by to buy coffee for Neke and me. When I got out, someone was waiting for me in my car. My first thought was to pretend I didn’t see him or find an exit so he wouldn’t notice me. But it was too late. Damn it. “Signora London.” He looked cute. He smirked—that smirked, though. Terzo was an overconfident son of a bitch. I could have set him up with Neke if I didn’t know what he did for a living. But my question was, how did he find me? “What do you want, Terzo?” I did my best to act like I wasn’t scared of him, hoping it would last until he was gone. “Is that how you treat a friend?” He didn’t move, still leaning on my car. “A friend? Since when?” I stopped a few feet away from him. “Since days ago. Did you forget that you’re under my protection now?” “How can I? How did you find me?” “Where’s Reed?” He knew I was alone. Great. Creepy. “You’re not supposed to be going out alone, Mrs. Cade. Where’s your husband?” Reed went to see his family, but Terzo didn
The Billionaire's Pawn 75
STRIKER “Hey, Dad.” “I miss you, son.” He hugged me tight as if I hadn’t seen him in years. “I miss you, too.” I sat next to him in the backyard of Moses’ estate. “I don’t know you and Moses play golf together.” My father was with Linden, and Emory joined him since Dad came to sit with me. “I know you called him Papa. He was about to cry when he told me, hearing you call him Papa for the first time.” “You both are softies. I just don’t want to hurt your feelings.” “I pushed you to give him a chance. That would be my biggest mistake and regret if I didn’t do that. He seems to have done his best to be your good father.” “Aside from taking me to Sicily?” I chuckled and patted his knee. “I didn’t meet the bad guys, except Giosue when London insisted, but it was after the agreement.” “I hope London found the peace she’d been looking for.” “It was Papa’s plan all along.” “And I can breathe freely, but you still met Siciliano.” “Yes. His son is a dick.” I snorted. “He won’t touc
