Chapter 5

After leaving that house with his brother's wife, Landon put her up in the best five-star hotel in the city.

For the next three days, Landon didn't go anywhere. He stayed at the hotel with her, taking her to the spa and shopping for clothes. At his insistence, Vera slowly relaxed, changed into a stylish cashmere coat, and the beauty she'd once been gradually came back into view.

But this was just the calm before the storm.

On the morning of the fourth day, Landon's phone rang.

It was Sean.

"Landon! You bastard! What the hell did you do?!"

On the other end, Sean's voice was hysterical, full of fear and rage.

"What's wrong, Sean? Didn't you always say money makes the man?" Landon sipped his coffee, unhurried.

"Why?! Why did Grand Vista cancel my supply contract?! And the bank—why did the bank suddenly call in my loans?! All my payments are tied up in there, my cash flow's cut off, the workers are making a scene, the suppliers are blocking my door... Was it you?!"

"Sean, you give me too much credit. I'm just a working stiff 'grinding away' in the Capital," Landon said mildly. "But I do know a few people. For instance, the chairman of Skyhold Capital—the money behind Grand Vista—happens to be my boss. And that project? I'm the one who signed off on it."

There was a deathly silence on the other end, then Sean's trembling voice: "You... you're a partner at Skyhold?"

Beep... beep... beep...

Landon hung up.

Ten minutes later, his phone received an MMS. In the photo, Sean was kneeling on the ground, his face covered in blood, documents scattered all around him.

Right after that, a text came through: "Mr. Sullivan, the fish is in the net. Also, while we were going through the books, we found a very interesting document about that woman named Regina."

Landon looked at the message, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

Just as he'd expected.

"Landon, who was that?" Vera asked, coming out from her treatment.

"It's nothing, Vera," Landon said. He stood up and straightened his suit. "Come on, let's go home. Someone's about to come begging to us."

Back at that old, run-down complex, this time there was no Porsche parked out front—instead, two court patrol cars sat by the entrance.

The front door of Sean's house was wide open, the inside in complete disarray. Sean sat slumped on the floor, his hair a mess, his eyes vacant. Regina was nowhere to be seen.

The moment Sean saw Landon and Vera come in, he lunged like a drowning man grabbing at a lifeline, scrambling over and wrapping his arms around Vera's legs.

"Honey! Honey, I was wrong! I'm an animal! I won't divorce you! Please, help me, make Landon stop! I'm going bankrupt, I'm going to prison!"

Vera flinched, and instinctively started to help him up.

Landon stopped her and said softly, "Take it slow, Vera. Look at this first."

Landon pulled a brown paper file envelope out of his briefcase.

"Sean, did you really think Regina loved you? Did you really think the baby she's carrying is a Sullivan?"

Landon held up the envelope and waved it in front of him.

Sean's face went deathly white in an instant, his eyes locked onto the envelope. "You... what do you mean?"

"In here is a paternity test report, along with the fraud records on Regina and her real boyfriend. Want to see them?"

Just as Sean reached out to snatch it, Landon pulled his wrist back.

"Not so fast."

Landon looked down at him and tossed another document—one he'd prepared in advance—onto the floor in front of him.

"You want the truth? Sign this first."

Sean's hands shook as he stared at the agreement, his face filled with despair. "Landon, you're driving me to my death..."

Landon bent down and, right against his ear, said something in a voice only the two of them could hear.

In that instant, Sean jolted as if struck by lightning, his whole body going limp on the floor, the light in his eyes snuffed out completely.

It was a newly drafted divorce agreement—he would leave the marriage with nothing.

With trembling hands, he picked up the pen and signed his name on the agreement.

Landon put the agreement away and threw the file envelope down on him.

"See for yourself. And one more thing to leave you with—people do things, and heaven is watching. Vera's jade pendant kept you safe for half your life. Too bad you threw that blessing away all on your own."

Sean shakily opened the envelope, took one glance, and let out a shrill, agonized scream, spitting up a mouthful of blood...