Chapter 168

Ryan sat at the head of his father’s old mahogany desk, tapping a pen absently on the table.

The fire crackling in the nearby fireplace did little to ease the chill in his veins. The room felt colder, darker, ever since his father had fallen ill and Bella had begun tightening her grip on the Kendrick empire.

Victor Empire now, he thought bitterly. The name change had been swift, too swift for his liking.

He knew Bella and her brother, Victor, had plans of their own, but something about their rise to power, their sudden control, didn’t sit right with him.

Ryan wasn’t blind—he had seen the signs and heard the whispers within the company.

Bella and Victor were playing a dangerous game, and he intended to find out exactly what that game was. His phone buzzed on the desk, pulling him out of his thoughts.

It was Luca. Luca: “I have something. Meet me in 30 minutes. ”Ryan stared at the message for a moment, feeling his heart rate spike. Luca had been helping him dig into Bella’s past f