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The Billionaire's Pawn 65
STRIKER Jesus Christ. She could have hurt herself if I had been late just a second. As adrenaline rushed through me, I caught her before she hit the floor. Guilt, regret, and shame engulfed me. I was thankful that Linden dragged me out of my apartment to come to the house. When we saw the news on tv, I knew it was only a matter of time before London would learn about it. I grabbed the tray and put it on the counter a little stronger. I stared at it with my jaw clenched and my hands formed into fists. “Goddamn it.” When Reef told me that most of the stock was untouched, I thought she was takeouts. It never occurred to me that she looked like she was starving herself. It hurt to see her not taking care of herself. And I had the feeling that she was sick. She lost a few pounds. I knew London. I knew her body. And she just threw up. “Don’t make me say I told you so.” “Just say it.” “Just hire a cook or a helper if you still have no plan to stay with her.” Linden was done with
The Billionaire's Pawn 66
LONDON The alarm went off. “Oh no! This is not happening.” I turned off the fire and waved off the smoke as it began to sting my eyes. “What the hell is happening in my kitchen?” Striker’s voice echoed in the entire house, startling me. He quickly went to turn off the alarm. “What do you think it looks like? I’m cooking.” He took the towel and waved at the alarm. “I thought you were trying to burn the house. Open the windows.” I rushed to open the windows. Seconds later, the smoke slightly cleared, and then I saw him shaking his head as he looked down at the burnt meat in the pan. I just pursed my lips in disappointment when he looked at me. “Where’s Sonia? I hired her to avoid this?” He wasn’t exactly angry, but he wasn’t happy either. I went to the convection to check if my last remaining meal was cooked. “I gave her days off.” “Why did you do that?” His tone began to annoy me. Why did he have to throw me a lot of questions when I was here bustling? I checked my food. Fin
The Billionaire's Pawn 67
STRIKER “Are you gonna tell me what this trip is all about?” I felt she would not stop until she got the answer. “Once we’re in the jet.” “Last night, you told me you would tell me in the morning.” “I know what I said, London.” She stopped when she noticed I wasn’t in a mood anymore. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed talking to her. And I set aside my anger toward her because I had to end a threat to her family. That was why I stayed at home for a night. I wanted to make sure we were on our way to Italy before she figured out about our father’s involvement with the two most prominent crime families in Italy. We made it to the private airport. Reed stopped the car in the hangar. Moses’ car instantly came to view while Briggs appeared from the jet, gesturing us to go up as he climbed down to help Reed for our suitcases from the trunk. “I got it.” I picked up London’s small duffel before she could pull it out. “Do you have anything else left in the car?” “No.” I could hear the anger
The Billionaire's Pawn 68
LONDONWe landed in Sicily an hour ago. I was exhausted, and my emotions were everywhere. Right now, Striker had to share a room with me. Reed and Linden were in the same room, while Moses had his own. I had suffered at the hand of those criminals and grew distrustful, and I still had nightmares because of my father’s selfishness. My anger towards him had gotten worst every day. I was kidnapped because of what he did. I felt awful and guilty, and I also felt loved and blessed at the same time that someone like Striker and Moses wanted to move mountains to keep me safe.That arrogant son of a bitch. He maybe was my father, but no father would ever sell his daughter to save his own skin. He used me as a pawn. Now he dragged Moses and Striker into his mess, still trying to save his ass. I tried hating him, but I couldn’t despite my terrible suffering. I still held on to the good things he had done for me when I didn’t have a mother to run to—he was there for me most of the time. “Vande
The Billionaire's Pawn 69
STRIKER “Sorry if I ruined your dating life.” “It doesn’t matter now.” That was all I could say because I had a feeling that my married life would get better. This bump in the road would be over soon. After our solemn dinner, we walked down the bay area, where a lot of people watch the ocean. The sea breeze was immaculate. We were in one of the most romantic places, yet we were like cat and mouse. When I noticed a woman taking pictures of her friends, I asked if she could take a picture of my wife and me. I thanked her after she gave me my phone, telling me how beautiful my wife was. “Thank you,” London said. “You look familiar. I think I saw you somewhere.” Her eyes widened. “Signora, I know you now. You’re London of London Hester.” “Yes, that’s me.” “Oh, look?” She was wearing one of London’s sandals. “Oh, my God.” London broke her smile into a gush. “Please, sir, take a picture for your wife and me.” She gave me her phone. “Of course.” London and the woman posed t
The Billionaire's Pawn 70
LONDON I woke up in Striker’s arms. We had dinner at a nice restaurant for the first time in weeks. We walked and kissed. We laughed together. Then since we’d been apart, my period just happened to be today, which was a shame. I wiped off the hair that fell on his face, kissed his cheek, and got out of bed to use the bathroom. I didn’t realize it was almost nine in the morning. After I cleaned up, I put on a comfy shirt and jeans. This time I would wear sneakers so that I could enjoy the stroll without worrying about my feet for blisters. I heard a soft knock. When I opened the door, it was Moses. “Pa, good morning.” I felt lucky to have fathers-in-law like him and Tate. Tate was a good dad. Moses did his best to fill the time he missed with his son. “Morning, London.” “Striker is still sleeping. I didn’t realize we were leaving early. Let me wake him up.” “No, honey. I came here, hoping he was still sleeping. Let him rest. If he wakes up and asks about me, tell him we go ahe
The Billionaire's Pawn 71
LONDONEverything was intense around here. My heart raced. I felt like I would suffer from a heart attack at a young age if I stayed longer in this place while Striker seemed relaxed in his seat.“Why? What’s wrong?” My senses heightened as I asked Reed.“Use the back door if something happens.” He rushed to get out of the coffee shop and approached the black SUV. When Striker rose to his feet, I held him on the wrist. “Don’t go out there.”“I’ll be fine.”“No, Cade. Sit down, or I’m coming with you.”“Alright.” He went back to his seat. “You’re bossy even not in bed.”“Stop with your innuendos, Cade. This is not the right time for jokes.” I knew what he was trying to do. He saw the fear in my eyes.“I won’t let anything happen to you, Vanderford.”“I know that, but I won’t let anything happen to you either.” My words put a smile on his face. Then I noticed Reed was coming back.“They’re here for you.”“What do you mean?” Striker asked, his gaze still pinned outside.“Order from your
The Billionaire's Pawn 72
LONDON “I want to meet Giosue.” The hotel room fell silent. Pairs of eyes pinned at me, questioning my sanity. Yeah, maybe I went too far, but I needed to see the man behind my kidnapping. I watched Striker swallow hard as he came to me. Before he could convince me, I said, “Either you’re with me, or I’m doing it alone.” Dad and Moses exchanged a look. Linden opened his mouth to say something but shut it close as soon as he saw the look on my face. “Vanderford, that’s not a good idea,” Finally, Striker said something as he held my arms, rubbing them as if convincing me to give up my stupid plan. Now that Dad made amends, he’s not the target of Conti anymore. “Why is that? I wanna meet face-to-face with that man.” “What are you gonna do?” Linden asked. Dad and Moses hadn’t said a word. “I’m still scared in the dark. I want to end this. I don’t want to be afraid anymore, and if that involves facing my own kidnapper, so be it. And I deserve closure for myself.” I met Striker’s g
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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
