I press my ear against the cool wood and listen to Adam – no,Markus– and Grace on the other side of the door. She raises her voice, pitching it into an actor’s upbeat positive lilt.
“I’m so glad you came, Adam,” she says.
“I’m so glad that piece of shit Harry is out for the night,” Adam says, laughing grimly.
I hear them pull out chairs and then the lightscreekas they pull them back in.
I have to clench my fists tightly to stop myself from running out there and confronting him.
Not only did he kidnap my sister and try to force an abortion on her, he also tried to turn Grace against me.
Fucking idiot.
“I want to help you,” Grace says. “But I don’t want to be lied to again. I know that your real name is Markus and you’re using Adam just so Harry doesn’t find out who you are, right? I know that Gemma isn’t your cousin. She’s the mother of your child.”
“Wow,” Markus says, sounding impressed. “You’re a real little go-getter, aren’t you?”
I clench my teeth so hard I’m surprised they don’t shatter.
Little go-getter.
And I bet he’s sneering at her like a certified pervert, too, the prick.
“A little research goes a long way,” Grace says calmly. Pride touches me at how well she’s handling this. “The question is, why the hell are you trying to sabotage Harry’s business?”
“He’s a meddler,” Markus mumbles. “That’s the truth, Grace. He’s always getting involved in stuff that doesn’t involve him. So, yeah, I used my middle name on the application form and I cut a few corners to get this job – I faked a few references, I bullied one lady into turning the job down, fine, whatever – but it’s because Harry deserves it.”
“And you tried to turn me against him,” she mutters.
“So what?” Markus exclaims.
Grace laughs disarmingly, probably giving him some pretty sweet eyes, too, making the dickhead think he’s not implicating himself.
Which he is.
Bigtime.
“I’m not judging you, Markus, not even close. I just want to get the whole picture. I think it’s clever how you used your position as his employee to try and bring him down.”
“Yeah, and I did more than that,” he chuckles. “I’ve been spreadingloadsof shit around him all around the camp. But you, Grace … I never anticipated you. You were the added bonus.”
I cringe hard at his words.
Added bonus.
As if she isn’t so much more than that.
I stand up and throw the door open, the comparatively fresher air of the cupboard rushing in and wafting away the chemical haze.
Gemma flies forward, darting across the room and standing over Markus.
“W-what?” Markus mutters, his eyes rolling between us like marbles. “What the fuck is this?”
“This,” Grace says, standing up and taking her phone from the desk. She waves it in front of his face. “Is evidence that you’ve been involved in some pretty shady shit, Markus. So I think it’s time you started treating Gemma like a human being, hmm?”
“What was your plan?” Gemma snaps. “Run from your responsibilities forever? Find a way to steal from my brother’s company, as if you haven’t already done enough to my family? Here’s how this goes now, Markus. DNA test, child support … or every employer for the rest of your life is going to hear about your little escapade.”
“What do you say to that?” I snarl, stepping forward with my fists clenched, my arms burning as my muscles bulge.
