Chapter 44: Emotional blackmail

Ivy’s pov

"What?" I stared at him, confused. "Task two? That wasn’t the plan, father. All we needed was the ledger and now I have it."

"I can’t go back there." A huge deflating feeling replaced the relief in my gut. I wasn’t comfortable with spying on them at first but I had only agreed to do it because Father had said it would be just one task.

He laughed, a harsh, ugly sound. "Of course you’re going back. The ledger would have been perfect if you’d gotten it last week. Now it’s useless. The Knights will have already moved their assets, changed their figures. This will only do a little damage, and I want to destroy them."

"We need more," he hissed, stepping closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "We need leverage. We need to be able to watch their every move, listen to their every word. You’re going to plant a tracker on them."

The word sent a wave of pure terror through me. "I... I can’t. How would I even...?"

My father’s eyes glinted with mischief.

"You’ll find a way," he said. "The same way you’ve been getting everything else you’ve needed. By sleeping with them."

The words hung in the air between us, like toxic gas, I couldn’t breathe.

By sleeping with them.

He knew!?

I was stunned, my mind was completely blank. He knew. My father, the man whose approval I had craved my entire life, knew I was sleeping with the enemy. My mouth opened, but no sound came out, just a choked, pathetic gasp.

"You... you know?" I finally managed to stutter.

"Of course I know. Do you think I’m a fool? I have eyes everywhere. Now stop looking so pathetic. You’re going to keep spreading your legs for them, Harper. You’re going to do whatever it takes. It’s the one thing you seem to be good at."

He might as well have stabbed me straight in the chest. Every word he said was a physical blow, a slap to the soul.

Why wasn’t he angry? Why was he so nonchalant? The indifference was worse than any rage. Did I not matter to him? I knew I had hurt him, I knew it, but I was still his daughter.

A hot, stinging burn started behind my eyes. I fought it so hard, swallowing over and over..

"Are you crying? Don’t you dare cry in front of me, I have no use for weaklings, Harper."

"I’m sorry," I sniffled, holding back the tears, gritting my teeth to keep them back so they wouldn’t fall. "I’ll do better, Father, I will. I promise. I could oversee crisis management in Dallas, or the shortages in our branches. I’ll fix all that. Anything but sending me back there,"

"You will do it," He hissed, stepping away from me. "You’ll go back there and you’ll get me their weekly schedule. When you do, I’ll give you the trackers. Do you understand me? It’s the least you could do."

It was the least I could do. I could hear all the accusations behind it. It was the least I could do after killing mom. It was the least I could do after ruining our family.

I couldn’t breathe. The walls were closing in. "I... I’ll do it," I choked out. "I’m sorry. I’m so sorry."

"Sorry doesn’t get me results, Harper," He snapped. "Don’t mess the floor up with your sniffing. Go blow your nose or something. And don’t fail me this time."

"Yes, Father."

I fled, my feet moving on autopilot. The moment the elevator doors slid shut, hiding me from my father, the dam broke. A sob tore from my throat, and then another, until I was a mess of silent, heaving tears.

I wiped at my face furiously, smearing mascara, choking on the air I couldn’t seem to draw into my lungs. How did he know? The blackmailer. It had to be. Did they send proof to my father?

Or was it at the Starlight ball?

***

The next morning, the sight of her waiting by the gates of Winslow Estate made my blood run cold. Ivy freaking Thompson was waiting out there grinning at the gates when I got down from the cab.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I hissed, rushing up to her. "We had an agreement!"

She shrugged, a smug little smile on her face. "Well, I ran out of money. I need more."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded, my voice rising in disbelief. "I just gave you double your salary two weeks ago!"

"It’s all gone," she said simply, unbothered. "You’ll give me more, or I’ll go right up to those brothers and tell them their little housekeeper is an impersonator."

My hands clenched into fists at my sides. Greedy. This woman was greedy as fuck, and I was trapped.

"You listen to me," I seethed, stepping closer. "If you breathe a word of this to anyone, I will make your life a living hell. Do you understand me?"

She just smirked. I whipped out my phone, my fingers flying across the screen to make the transfer. As I did, I felt eyes on me. I glanced up.

Milo.

He was standing by the main gate, watching us. A slow smile spread across his face, and he started waving when our eyes met. I forced a smile, waving back weakly before turning back to Ivy Thompson.

"Fine," I hissed. "I’ll send it. Now leave. Get out of here, now."

She sauntered off, and I took a deep breath before walking toward the mansion. Milo met me as I walked through the area.

"Good morning Ivy. Who was that?"

"Just my cousin," I lied, brushing past him. "She needed some help."

I didn’t wait for a reply, heading straight for my room. I had just closed the door when my phone buzzed with a message from the blackmailer.

My heart seized as I opened it.

"It would seem sleeping with the brothers isn’t the only sin you’ve committed, dear Ivy. I wonder what they would do when they find out you’re not the real maid."