I had millions saved. Millions I earned by starting my own law firm, by winning lawsuit after lawsuit.
I struggled my way through poverty, became friends with the richest boy in all of Miami, studied my ass off in college, and fought through a male-dominated world until I made my way to the top. I did all of that while wrestling with a dark past that haunts my every waking moment. I did all of that with unbearable pain. I did all of that after starting over and moving my entire life to New York.
I earned every cent, and now it’s all gone.
I don’t have to do any investigating to know who stole my money—Langston.
Waylon has no need for my money. I just signed the prenup. He has no right to my money any more than I have a right to his. The only money of his I can access are campaign reimbursements. We don’t even plan on sharing a residence once we are married. I’ll keep my apartment, and he’ll keep his.
Now, I have no idea how I’m going to pay for my apartment. I can’t even afford a coffee, let alone the thousands of dollars in monthly rent for my apartment.
Maxwell drives me back to my apartment as I think through my options. I refuse to rely on a man. I refuse to put myself in more debt. I won’t ask Waylon for help financially. I don’t even know how I’d explain to him what happened to my money in the first place.
“You okay?” Maxwell asks, raising an eyebrow in the rearview mirror as he drives.
“It was just a mixup at the bank. They recognized some fraudulent charges on my credit cards, so they canceled them. It’s all sorted out now. I’m just tired.”
Maxwell nods.
“Please don’t mention any of this to Waylon. I don’t want to worry him with something
so little when he has so much going on.”
I’m not sure who Maxwell is loyal to—me or Waylon. Technically, Waylon pays his salary, but I’m the one who gives Maxwell orders. Waylon made sure that Maxwell knew his job is to protect me and follow my orders no matter what. It will be an interesting test of his loyalty.
“Of course, Liesel.”
He stops the car outside my building and then steps out, opening the door for me after handing the valet the keys.
I don’t really need him to walk me to my door, but he won’t leave me alone until I’m safely inside my apartment. I let him walk with me up into my building and up the elevator.
Once we reach my door, I expect him to come inside and search the apartment before I enter. That’s what Langston would do.
“Do you need anything else, Liesel?” Maxwell stands to the side of the door as I insert the key.
I smile. “I’m good. Thanks, Max.”
He grins at the nickname. “I’ll be in the apartment down the hallway monitoring your door. If you need anything, just text. Otherwise, have a good night.”
I walk inside and shut and lock the door behind me.
Maxwell is sweet enough. He’s a decent bodyguard who I think I can trust, but he’s no match for Langston or anyone who works for the Black empire.
It’s an illusion of safety.
Maxwell said that he’d be monitoring the hallway, which should make it tough for me to leave without him noticing.
But he isn’t the only one watching me.
I walk into the apartment, making it seem like I’m going to bed. I pull out my phone and do a quick search of surrounding hotels until I find the one Langston is staying at. It’s the most expensive and closest. I know without a shadow of a doubt that he’s there.
“I assume you draining my money was because you wanted to talk to me and calling me on the phone wouldn’t work.”
I stare up at the camera in my bedroom, talking directly to Langston.
“Meet me in the hotel bar in fifteen minutes.”
I walk into the bathroom to change out of the professional-looking jacket and skirt and into something that will work to my advantage. I take my time changing into a tight black dress with lace at the hem and the neckline. I apply a dark line of eyeliner, sweep a darker shade of eyeshadow across my lids, and then pull a scarlet red lipstick out to paint my lips.