Chapter 77: Milo’s unsheathed desperation

Ivy’s pov

There was an insane crushing grip on my throat. Milo’s eyes were hard as ice, his face a mottled, furious red. His knuckles were white as he pressed against my windpipe.

"Is it because I haven’t exposed you yet?" he hissed, spit flying from his lips, hitting my face. "Is that why you think you can get away with it? How dare you meddle in my business, you stupid bitch?"

I couldn’t fucking breathe. Air wouldn’t come. Black spots danced in my vision as I clawed at his hand, my nails scraping uselessly against his skin.

I managed to get a tiny breath into my burning lungs, enough to choke out a retort. "You must have some... inferiority complex... if you’re threatened... by me," I rasped.

"I didn’t... do anything."

His face contorted with rage. "Shut up!" The pressure intensified, and I could swear I heard a sickening crunch of cartilage. The jerk was going to kill me.

"Is it because you get to suck their dicks?" he snarled, his voice a venomous whisper. "Is that why you think you can mouth off to me?"

"Wanna take turns sucking it?"

Yeah fucking wrong thing to say, of course.

I just couldn’t resist. Seeing him so viciously angry only confirmed my thoughts that he had been trying to use that court case for a reason. He was such a sneaky old bat!

A vein throbbed visibly in his forehead. "After helping you hide your identity?" he roared, his grip tightening, shaking me like a rag doll.

"After everything I’ve done for you? This is how you repay me? By messing with my plans?"

The gray blurring my vision was turning to black. My lungs screamed. I was going to pass out, but I couldn’t resist goading.

"That’s right... genius," I choked out. "Keep strangling me... so they can ask questions... when they arrive."

His eyes widened in panic, and the pressure vanished.

I crumpled to the floor, doubling over as I sucked in huge, ragged gulps of air. My throat was on fire; every breath was a mad, searing agony. I could feel my skin already swelling, bruising around my neck.

Stupid asshole. He would have choked me to death if I didn’t remind him we were right in the Knight mansion. I wanted to scream to at least get anyone’s attention, but my throat was sore, and all I could manage was coughing, trying to clear my hoarse voice.

"You listen to me good," he seethed, looming over me. "You keep messing with my plans, and I will expose you. I’ll tell them everything."

I looked up at him, a dry, acrid laugh tearing from my damaged throat. It hurt, but it was worth that flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.

"So you wanted them to go to court?" I rasped, pushing myself up onto my hands and knees.

"I’ll bet you were expecting to drag out the case for years. Just so you could keep squeezing money out of them. It’s smart, I’ll give you that, because it won’t alert them at least at first. But do you really think Kai or Gideon wouldn’t notice after the first few years?"

His hand flew out, a sharp, backhanded smack that sent me sprawling onto the floor. My cheek stung, tears springing to my eyes.

"You don’t know what you’re talking about!" he hissed, crouching down, his face inches from mine.

"You don’t know how much I had to sacrifice to get here. Some measly woman isn’t getting in my way. Interrupt my affairs again, and I will make sure your identity is blasted right in their fucking face."

I swallowed, the taste of blood in my mouth. I saw the smug look return to his face, and I knew I had to push back.

"Go right ahead." I pushed myself to my feet, swaying slightly as I adjusted Kai’s clothes.

"And I’ll expose you too."

He scoffed. "Expose me for what? I’m their best friend. A little money won’t destroy that."

"Money." I straightened my shoulders.

"The brothers might forgive that. You’re their best friend after all. But when they find out you sent an assassin after Kai..." I let the sentence hang in the air, watching his face.

"I’m sure you’ve known them long enough to know what they would do to you."

The smug look vanished. He paled, the blood draining from his face. "They... they would never believe you."

"True, "I threw my shoulders up and down in a shrug. "But all they need is a suspicion... right, Milo?"

His eyes narrowed, his body tensing as he moved in to slam me against the wall again. But then, voices echoed down the hall.

"Vivi? Where are you?" Roman called, his voice laced with concern. ℯℯ𝘭.

"Come on, little Ivy, stop hiding!" Kai’s playful voice followed.

Milo froze, his eyes darting towards the sound. With one last, furious glare, he turned and raced down the hall, out the door.

"Coward," I spat, clearing my throat while scrambling to my feet. Shit, I couldn’t let them see me like this.

I rushed into the closest bathroom to me and slammed the door shut, stumbling to the mirror to see what I looked like. Kai’s shirt pretty much swallowed my entire body; I flipped on the light.

I tilted my head to the side. A garish, reddish handprint was already blooming around my throat. I pinched my cheeks, trying to add some color to my face, my fingers trembling.

"Vivi! You in there?" Roman’s voice was closer now, right outside the door.

"Are you okay?" Kai asked, his tone suddenly serious.

Well shit. There was no way to get out of this. It would be easy to tell them Milo did this to me, but that would lead to bigger problems if Milo exposed me.

I took one last, shaky breath and opened the door. They were both standing there, identical hazel eyes shifting with concern.

Kai’s eyes locked onto my neck, and his face hardened. "What happened?"

Roman’s gaze followed, and his eyes narrowed, a murderous glint in their depths. He stepped forward, his hand reaching out to gently touch the bruised skin. "Who the fuck grabbed you?"