Chapter 5 - The Blackmail
Emma stopped breathing.
Cole slowly backed away from Emma, raising his hands in the air.
"Tessa, put that away," Cole whispered in panic.
Tessa stepped into the light.
The sweet, innocent sister act was completely gone.
Her eyes were cold, calculating, and deadly.
"You really are pathetic, Cole," Tessa sneered.
She did not lower the weapon.
"You were supposed to secure the company shares, not pick fights in hallways."
Emma stared at the gun in horror.
"Tessa, what are you doing?" Emma gasped.
Tessa shifted her gaze to Emma.
"I am doing my job, big sister," Tessa replied smoothly.
She lowered the gun slightly, but kept her finger on the trigger.
"Did Adrian tell you about his little contract?" Tessa asked with a mocking smile.
Emma refused to answer.
"He thinks he can outsmart my employers," Tessa laughed.
She reached into her purse with her free hand.
She pulled out a small black flash drive.
"This drive contains the financial records of every illegal port bribe Adrian has paid in the last decade," Tessa revealed.
Cole looked totally confused.
"What bribes?" Cole asked blindly.
Tessa ignored him entirely.
"Tell your new fiancé that if he marries you on Saturday, I send this to the federal authorities," Tessa warned.
She stepped closer to Emma.
"Call off the wedding, Emma, or Adrian goes to prison for twenty years."
Tessa put the flash drive away and slipped back into the shadows.
Cole stood there trembling, completely out of his depth.
Emma ran back to the ballroom.
She found Adrian standing by the bar, calmly sipping bourbon.
She grabbed his arm and pulled him onto an empty balcony.
"Tessa has a gun," Emma blurted out frantically.
Adrian took a slow sip of his drink.
"I know," he said calmly.
"She has a flash drive with your bribery records!" Emma cried. "She is going to send it to the feds!"
Emma expected Adrian to look worried.
Instead, a slow, terrifying smile spread across his handsome face.
May you like
He pulled out his phone and pressed a button.
"Good," Adrian whispered darkly. "Because the feds are already working for me, and I needed her to hand them the planted evidence."
