Page 75 of Reckless Seduction
Not when I finally have something that can burn him to the ground.
My gaze flicks back to the envelopes sitting beside the laptop.
Two truths.
One lie.
My stomach knots as I reach for the second envelope, slower this time. More careful. Maybe if I move gently, it won’t hurt as much.
It’s a stupid thought.
I open it anyway.
Inside is a photograph.
My breath stutters.
A woman stares back at me—soft features, familiar eyes, a faint smile that feels like something I’ve seen in a dream but can’t quite remember.
Elizabeth.
My chest aches sharply, something inside me cracking open.
I let my fingers trace the edge of the photo before flipping it open.
A date and location stare back at me.
Then there is a name written beneath it in bold black ink.
Toph Erikson.
The same name Sarah spat at my fa… at Crowe. The name he is trying to eliminate. Someone powerful enough to scare him.
And it all falls into place.
Piece by piece, the puzzle comes together, edges aligning perfectly.
The confusion, the secrets, the lies—they’re all threads in the same twisted web.
And I’m right in the center of it.
A pawn.
Or… my jaw tightens.
I refuse to be a piece moved around on his chessboard any longer. If a pawn can change into a queen on the board, so will I. He took everything from me as a child. Used me. Abused me. And I’ll make sure he’ll feel every last lash of the whip that I’ll bring down on him.
I set the photo down carefully, forcing myself to take a steady breath. My eyes drift to the final envelope sitting untouched on the desk.
The lie.
My fingers hesitate for half a second before I grab it and tear it open.
Whatever’s inside spills on my lap.
Documents.
Official ones with my name at the top.
