After the divorce, he begged

Chapter 15

Rebecca turned toward the voice,

Stanley, in a perfectly tailored suit, offered an apologetic smile that reached his eyes, his whole presence radiating a friendly warmth.

2.49%

“Please excuse my bodyguards—they can be overprotective,” Stanley said, taking a seat and pouring coffee for Rebecca. “Please take a seat. Let’s talk about your ring.”

“I’ve changed my mind about selling it,” Rebecca said, checking her dead phone signal as she plotted her escape.

“Ms. Jensen, I’d encourage you to reconsider,” Stanley said, pushing the coffee toward her. “If this is about me running late or my guys being rude, l’il make it worth your while.”

“No, it’s not that. I just want to keep it for sentimental reasons,” Rebecca said.

Stanley spun his cup slowly, his whole vibe changing. “Is that so?”

“Yes,” Rebecca said.

“I guess you don’t know how I operate, Ms. Jensen,” Stanley said, dragging out his words. “I don’t usually make offers like this. When people flake at the last minute… let’s just say it pisses me off.”

Rebecca’s knuckles went white around her bag strap.

Stanley took a slow sip of coffee. “Throw out a number.”

“Fifteen million,” Rebecca said, hoping the crazy number would make him back off.

“I’m making a real offer here, Ms. Jensen. I hope you don’t take me for some easy mark,” Stanley said, setting down his cup with a calm smile. “How about 600 dollars?”

It was painfully clear to Rebecca now–he wasn’t here to negotiate, but to mess with her.

She gripped her phone tighter. “I’m not selling it.”

“Then I guess we’ll have to do this the hard way,” Stanley said, signaling his bodyguards with a look, and the two men moved in instantly.

Sensing trouble, Rebecca thumbed her emergency call button. But before she could complete the call, they snatched the phone from her hand and pinned her arms behind her back.

“This is robbery!” Rebecca shouted.

chin up as he delivered his lines. “I couldn’t

sank at

to the bodyguards. “Tie her up, blindfold her,

friend’s waiting downstairs!” Rebecca blurted out. “If I’m not back in ten minutes,

her threat. Shaking like a leaf, Rebecca had no

gone, Stanley called toward the side room, “This is the woman you treat like

fear is the only way to make a lesson stick,” Jeffrey’s cool voice responded.

1/3

QUI

་་་

0.49%

Chapter 15

as his eyes locked on where

sell the ring. If I don’t teach her a lesson now, who knows what she’ll pull next?‘ Jeffrey thought to

her,” Stanley said, always more considerate toward women. “If she gets truly frightened, you’ll be the one who ends up

R

།།

he had just seen, his intense gaze unconsciously dropped to Stanley’s

gaze.

touch her?” Jeffrey’s voice held

“Are you for real? I was following your plan. You’re not crazy enough to blame me for

said I’m crazy…” Jeffrey

a new side of his friend. “If that’s how it’s gonna be,

out a derisive snort. “Some backbone

only thing stopping him from throwing Jeffrey out

darkening as he thought of

dripping with sarcasm, though he couldn’t help adding a word of caution.

him a sharp,

alright, I’m gone,” Stanley said immediately, backing off

Jeffrey waited until he heard the elevator doors slide shut before finally making his way down

the door hinges made Rebecca flinch, her bound body trembling against her will. She tried to scream, but the tape over her mouth trapped the sound, turning

the floor grew closer, sending fresh waves of

vision taken, every other sense became painfully

soften. But then he remembered how she tried to sell the

slow path across her soft

shook her head wildly, trying to escape his touch, but she