ric’s POV:


    “You’re going to fucking thank me for this.”


    rissa seemed proud about something. My eyes were still narrowed at the back of her head as she led me across from the main house. The moment I realized where she was taking me, red hot anger coiled in the pit of my stomach and I drew her back by her hand.


    “What kind of fucking game are you ying, rissa?”


    The gardening shed. That was where she was taking me. And if memory served me properly, we used to sneak out here whenever my mother was being unbearable.


    Plus, this was where my father used to deliver punishments. rissa never met my father–it was why I was so desperate to turn that shed into something that wasn’t so horrific. And somehow, I managed it.


    Her brows drew together. “What makes you think I’m ying games? I simply want <i>to </i>show you what I


    did.”


    Her gaze dropped to where my hand was connected to her wrist and back to my eyes. I dropped her hand like it was on fire. “Fucking…” I took a breath, pinching the bridge of my nose. “What did you do? Did you take Tyler’s phone? What exactly did you do, rissa? I have a fucking meeting with the board and I’m runningte.”


    “I see that,<i>” </i>she murmured, rolling her eyes. And then she made the rest of the walk into the gardening


    shed


    The moment she opened the door and stepped aside for me to enter, I froze.


    Tyler Cross was on the floor, passed out in his work suit. His hands were tied above his head.


    I rushed over to him, crouching so I could feel his pulse with my fingers.


    It was normal.


    “Rx, ric. He’s not dead. I only gave him a bunch of my sleeping pills… okay, maybe more than a


    bunch.”


    What the fuck was going on here?


    My gaze was still trained on Tyler’s body when I spoke. “Why is my assistant’s body in the gardening shed, rissa?” My voice was low and calm. Surprisingly calm,pared to what I was feeling inside.


    But I was always good at keeping my emotions at bay.


    “Come on,” she scoffed. “Don’t pretend you care about Meadow’s ex–fiance looking like a dead man. I bet


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    it gets you off.”


    Fucking hell.


    I rose to my feet, brushing off invisible lint from my suit jacket. And then I turned to face her. <b>“</b>I don’t care, rissa. I’m more concerned about the reason you put him here than I am about seeing him like this.”


    “Fair enough,” she said with a half–hearted shrug, and then she stepped forward, kicking his thigh. “He’s the scumbag ying both my nieces, isn’t he? You wanna tell me how and why he ended up as your


    assistant?”


    I frowned. “I don’t see how this is any of your business-<b>” </b>


    “Does Meadow know that her ex works for you?”


    I gave rissa a t look and she pped her hand against her forehead. “Of course, she does. She had to have consented to it, right? Because there’s no other reason you would keep the guy who broke her heart


    around.<b>” </b>


    My chest panged at that phrase: “The guy who broke her heart.‘ Somehow, the thought of someone else breaking her heart, the thought of her giving another man her delicate heart didn’t sit right with me.


    Tyler Cross deserved to suffer–and he already was. But all the things that were happening to him was only the beginning.


    And rissa trying to involve herself in this was going to fucking put me off.


    “How the hell did this happen?”


    “Like I said,” she muttered, crossing her arms in front of her chest again. “I slipped him my sleeping pills. I wasn’t nning on doing anything before, but he flirted with me. The fucking manwhore. I thought he


    was with Juni now.<i>” </i>


    I didn’t say a word, <b>I </b>just waited for her to continue. “Anyway, out of nowhere, I got this brilliant idea to punish him, and so I offered him some coffee to drink and slipped my pills in there before I gave it to him.” She let out a dramatic gasp. “You should fire him for being so careless and irresponsible.”


    I had no idea what on earth I was even feeling at the moment. Confusion? Anger? Resentment? I was all over the fucking ce.


    I forced myself to remain calm, pinching the bridge of my nose again. “And what? You dragged him out here and tied him up?” I stepped closer, my brows drawing together. “What exactly where you nning to do after tying him up, rissa?”


    <b>“</b><b>I</b><b>–</b><b>L</b><b>…</b>” she stuttered, hesitating for a long moment, and then she sighed, closing her eyes. “I don’t know. I just wanted to hurt him for hurting my baby.”


    My gaze narrowed. I hadn’t noticed before at the party or in Vegas, but there was something quite different about rissa. Something I couldn’t put my finger on.


    The only reason I hadn’t noticed earlier was because of the whole “perfect” demeanor she put on. But right now, with nothing but a red lip on, she seemed… naked.


    “What happened to you?” I asked–not because I was concerned, but because I was curious. And I needed


    to know if there was a need to have her evaluated too.


    Only this time, I feared she would fail the test without me having to do anything like the way I did with


    Meadow’s sister.


    “What?” she frowned. “Nothing! I just… I need a purpose, ric. I need something to keep me fucking


    grounded!” She stepped closer to me, reaching out to fix my tie as she lowered her voice. “You understand


    that, right?”


    My jaw clenched and I stepped back, away from her. rissa let out a softugh, raising her hands in defence. “Sorry, sorry, I’m just really cranky this morning. I know you have your… own ns for him. But this is basically just me showing you a glimpse of what I would do to you if you ever hurt Meadow.” She


    smirked like she was proud of herself.


    Yeah. Something was definitely off.


    rissa’s words were fucking difficult to understand and corrte with her behavior. One minute, she


    was flirting with me, and the next, she was threatening me.


    Not that either of those behaviors affected me in any way.


    “Uh huh,” I droned tly. “Maybe you should go back to the house and take some of those pills you gave to my assistant. You need a long nap. I’ll take care of this.”


    “Mmmhm.” She let out a sound between a sigh and a giggle. “I love it when you take charge of situations.


    Reminds me of the good days.”


    I ignored her, hoping she would just take the hint and leave. And, thankfully, she did. But not before


    sliding her finger across my cheek on the way out.


    I pulled out my phone, cursing as I checked the time. It wasn’t even noon yet and so much had already happened. I was alreadyte to the meeting and my fucking assistant was on the floor in my mother’s gardening shed.


    “Boss?” Trip’s voice sounded out when he picked up.


    “<b>I </b>want you here now. I’m at my mother’s estate.”


    Tyler Cross started to stir right as I ended the call. He let out a groan, his eyes snapping open when I


    delivered a hard kick to his side.


    “What the…” His brows furrowed, eyes squinting as they zoned in on mine. And then his eyes widened in surprise. “Mr. Ashford!”


    My nostrils red and I arched a brow. “Enjoy your morning nap, Cross?”