Chapter 63: A double-faced friend

Ivy’s pov

Milo fucking Cunningham knew who I was.

"H-How... How did you know?"

The air in Gideon’s study grew thick and heavy, suffocating me with Milo’s cologne and the heavy weight of his words looming over my head.

Who do you think they would believe?

He was so close I could see the flecks of green in his brown eyes. The friendly mask he usually wore had completely melted away to reveal something ugly and predatory.

"Oh, please, that surname of yours is pretty funny. And Gideon had asked me to look into Ivy Harpley, only for me to find out no one like that exists." He chuckled, skimming his knuckles down my cheek. It felt like a slug trailing on my skin. I reared my head back, my lip curling in disgust.

"Aren’t you going to ask me what I told him when I found out?"

"You’re going to tell me anyway."

"Mhmmm, true," He murmured, moving even closer, his breath whipping against my face. "I lied for you, Ivy. I told him every single lie you’ve told him was true. See? I’m on your side-"

"I’m supposed to believe you did that out of the goodness of your heart? What the fuck do you want?!"

His eyes narrowed in anger before he grinned. "I don’t want much from you, Ivy. I just want a taste of that golden pussy the brothers seem to want so much. I thought you only had the twins eating in the palm, but then a little blondie walked into Extasim this weekend, and you know, that disguise was great and all, but I have a feeling it was you."

My fingers curled into a fist as I swallowed hard. Was he tailing the brothers? I was sure he would have eyes on every single one of them without them knowing.

He pushed forward, pushing his thigh against mine. "Where’s my share of your slutty cunt?"

My hand moved on its own, delivering a sharp, stinging slap across his revolting face that echoed in the silent room. "You pig! Get your hands off me!"

His head snapped to the side. His face darkened, and his hand shot out, wrapping around my throat.

"Why shouldn’t I want what they have?" he snarled, spitting all over my face like a freaking llama.

"Do they have two heads? I spent ten years being their fucking slave, at their beck and call, listening to them talk about billions while I got scraps. I’m done being average. They’re going to make me rich, and I’ll make sure I get it all. My plan almost failed, you know—Kai and that nosy eye of his; he almost got too close to the truth," Milo continued, his eyes gleaming with a manic light.

"I had to slow him down so I could get what I wanted."

"It was you?" The words were a choked whisper, my body going numb. "You sent that man to kill Kai?"

He smirked, a cruel twist of his lips. "Well, he’s not dead, is he? See that? You and me, we’re not so different after all, Ivy." He leaned in, brushing his lips against my cheek.

"We both know what it’s like to want what we shouldn’t have."

Acid and bile rushed up my throat. I brought my knee up with all my might, connecting hard with his groin. He howled, stumbling back and cupping his measly dick. "You bitch!"

"We are nothing alike!" I screamed, my voice shaking with rage and revulsion. "I am nothing like you!"

He chuckled, a wheezing, pained sound that made my skin crawl. "Keep telling yourself that. I’ll go gentle on you, as long as you keep distracting them and give me what I want."

"Over my dead body," I spat.

His grin was pure evil. "I’m into that too."

I shoved past him, my whole body shaking so violently I could barely walk. I didn’t stop until I was in the nearest bathroom, locking the door behind me.

I stumbled to the sink, turning on the cold water and scrubbing my hands, my face, my neck, trying to wash away his touch, his smell, his words. But it was no use. I felt dirty and tainted.

Milo had tried to kill Kai. Their best friend was a traitor, a greedy, disgusting bastard who was after their wealth... and after me.

You and me, we’re not so different...

"I am nothing like that... that scum! Oh my god, he’s evil. He tried to kill Kai for goodness sake! I have to..."

Tell them?

Milo would expose me in a heartbeat. Then I would have failed Father all over again.

You’re the same as him, my conscience accused. You’re using them. Lying to them. Spying on them.

"No," I whispered to my reflection in the mirror, my false brown eyes staring back at me. "It’s different. I have to do this. For my father’s company, for my inheritance. Milo is just... greedy."

But the excuse felt so hollow. My skin still crawled where he had held me. I was just like him. A snake in the house. I was trying to pull myself together, to get back to work and pretend my world wasn’t shattering, when a soft knock came at the bathroom door.

"Ivy? Are you in there, cherie?"

I cleared my throat, fanning at my eyes to keep the tears pricking the corners at bay. "Y-Yeah, Donna, what’s up,"

"I’ve been looking for you. Master Malachi is asking for you. You need to take his porridge breakfast up to him."

Guilt and anxiety twisted my stomach into a painful knot. "I can’t," I called out, my voice hoarse.

"I’m busy."

Donna sighed. "He specifically asked for you, Ivy. He said he wouldn’t eat for anyone else."

"I don’t care! I’m busy!" I snapped, my frustration boiling over.

What was I supposed to do? I knew who was behind Kai getting shot, and I couldn’t say a word. After all my bravado yesterday about standing up for justice before Gideon, what on earth was I supposed to do?

"Ivy, don’t be like that," Donna coaxed softly.

"They’re the bosses. You don’t want to get on their bad side. Please, just... take him the tray."

With a defeated groan, I unlocked the door. Fine. I’d take him the damn food. I just needed to get through the day.

I balanced the tray in my hands and walked to Kai’s room, my heart pounding with every step. I nudged the door open with my hip. The room was dim, the curtains drawn.

Kai was in bed, the covers pulled up to his chin, his body shivering violently. My anger immediately evaporated, replaced by a sharp stab of fear. I rushed in, setting the tray on a nearby table.

"Kai? What’s wrong? Are you okay?" I asked, my hand reaching out to feel his forehead for a fever.

He quivered, his teeth chattering. "N-no," he stuttered. "It... it hurts."

Oh god. Was the wound infected? Was he getting septic? Panic flared in my chest. "What hurts? Your shoulder? Let me see!"

He pushed the covers down, revealing his uninjured hand shoved down his pants, gripping a very large, very obvious erection. A mischievous, wicked glint was in his hazel eyes as he looked up at me.

"It hurts down here," he said, his voice a low, pained rasp.