Perfect Revenge (Revenge Series Book 1)

by Catherine Edward

  A couple of hours later...

  They were well rested when their flight landed in the New York airport the next day morning.

  Samantha stretched lazily and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Axel and Henry went to collect their luggage as Sara and Samantha proceeded towards the exit.

  Samantha scanned the crowd and to her surprise, both her dad and Eric were there to receive them.

  "Dad!"

  "Eric!"

  She ran towards them at a full sprint when their eyes met hers. A look of relief and happiness spread across Gregory's face as he confirmed she returned in one piece. He caught her in a bear hug, squeezing her to the bones.

  "Samantha! Thank God, you are okay," Gregory breathed in relief.

  "Dad, stop exaggerating. She is fine," Eric snorted beside him as their father released his sister from his hug.

  "Yeah, dad. I am good, see." Samantha twirled once, showing him that she was perfectly fine.

  "Yeah, she is fine. It's that Rodrígez, I am worried about," Eric quipped with a fake concern and Samantha laughed out loud.

  "That's my girl," Gregory stated proudly.

  "Dad, this is Sara," Samantha introduced Axel's mother who was silently watching their communication.

  "Hello, call me Gregory. My daughter talks a lot about you."

  Sara was not expecting the famous Sinclair to be so polite. It explained Samantha's down to earth behavior.

  "Good things, I presume. Nice to meet you too, Gregory."

  "Hi, I'm Eric the Great."

  Samantha chuckled at her brother's introduction. "Yes, the big B," she agreed.

  Before Sara could respond they were distracted by Samantha yelling Axel's name as she gestured him to come over.

  "Dad, this is Henry and Axel."

  Gregory didn't miss the way Samantha clutched Axel's arm and held it in a protective grip as she introduced them. Axel seemed to lean towards her, his hands automatically encasing her waist as he extended his free hand towards Gregory.

  "Pleasure meeting you, sir."

  "It's nice to meet you finally, Axel."

  "Hi, I'm Eric. Can I have a word with you, Axel?" He asked narrowing his eyes and Samantha gave him a stink eye.

  "Sure," Axel grinned knowing very well about Eric's intention. "I'll be back now," he gave a reassuring nod to Samantha before going with Eric.

  "If looks could kill I'd be dead now," Eric chuckled as they neared a coffee vending machine.

  Axel nodded in understanding but said nothing.

  "I'm happy for you both and I could say that my sister is quite taken with you," he stated. "However, that's not the reason I called you alone. I have an information you may be interested in. Here, this is my card. Let's meet in my office and talk over a coffee," Eric said, giving his card to Axel.

  Axel took the card before securing it in his pocket.

  "Oh, and if you haven't already, better tell Samantha before she finds out on her own," Eric warned. "Samantha’s bites are worse than that of Mr. Whiskers. Trust me, I know."

  Axel once again nodded mutely. What's with everyone knowing his plan? He thought his plan was brilliant.

  "Let's say your plan had a few flaws and we are protective of Samantha. We also happen to have some useful connections," Eric responded as if he was reading his thoughts.

  "How much does she know?" Axel asked after thinking over for a moment.

  "She knows an overall story about your past, excluding the revenge plan," Eric answered truthfully. "Knowing about Samantha, she would find out sooner and it's better if you come out clean before she finds the truth."

  Axel let out a defeated sigh. Samantha knew about Alicia. He didn't know what to make out of this situation. There he thought his past was a secret to the world and yet, here it was out in the open.

  "It's not safe for us to talk here. Meet me in my office, sometime later today." Eric said, with a pat on his shoulders.

  Soon, they returned to where Samantha was standing with everyone and Axel nodded that he was okay when she cast a concerned look at him.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  A few hours later...

  Axel sat in Eric's office on the fourteenth floor of the Sinclair International building. His office was simple yet elegant. Axel admired the spacious interiors as he waited for Eric to finish his call.

  "Kenley was snooping around. She started digging into your past to find something that she could use against you and Samantha," Eric began as soon as he disconnected the call, his fingers drumming on the rich mahogany desk.

  "She posted this and dad took it down within minutes of it going online," he said pushing the gossip magazine copy towards Axel.

  "We were able to stop the issue before it's too late. However, a few had already bought the papers and are aware of your relationship with Samantha," Eric continued.

  Axel's jaw clenched as he read the article which portrayed Samantha as a social climber. Fucking retards.

  "Whatever you do, you have to do it faster. If Kenley found the connection between you and Alexander, then you can figure out the rest," Eric mused as he toyed with the crystal paperweight in his table.

  "Kenley won't find a thing," Axel growled.

  "Let's hope so. Anyway, that's not the only reason I called you here. This particular news will be definitely interesting to you," Eric said, pushing another file towards him.

  Axel's eyes widened and a bright smile found its way to his lips as he read through the contents.

  "Thank you. Thanks a lot. You just found the missing piece I needed to complete my plan," Axel grinned.

  "You're going to be a family if everything goes well," Eric smiled warmly. "Now, that's done, let's discuss some business, shall we?"

  Eric turned to business mode and three hours later, Axel exited the building with a billion dollar worth business contract in his hands.

  Axel looked at the contract he just signed for a hundredth time. He still couldn't believe that he got it. Eric had all the Finlayson's finance reports in his fingertips. Axel was impressed with the way Eric worked and he now understood why the Sinclairs always topped the charts.

  When he showed the contract to Samantha, she rejoiced and congratulated him with a hug. As for Jenson, he was over the moon and stars when he got the information about the deal.

  Axel didn't know if Jenson was aware of Samantha's social status. He didn't bother to tell him how he nailed the Sinclair deal either. Eric had told him that Gregory was impressed by his management skills and trusted that his company was capable of handling this deal.

  As for the budget, the Sinclairs would release the payments in three steps, starting with an advance of forty percent, so Axel didn't have to worry about running behind the bankers either.

  True to Samantha's words she had found two new dealers and sold out the shipment that was supposed to go for the European company. Their legal team filed a petition against the European company and Jerry was sure that they would win this.

  Axel was more and more getting used to the idea of having a family with Samantha. His mother had given his grandmother’s ring as soon as they reached home and both of his parents told him that he had their blessings.

  They firmly believed that Samantha was the right woman for him. She’d grown up with a big family and Sara had seen the way she mingled with her sister’s family. Axel pocketed the ring wondering if he was ready to take that huge step.

  It all felt too soon yet a part of him didn’t want to wait.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  It was already Thursday and when it was time to leave for home, Axel visited Samantha in her office. Her brows were scrunched in concentration as he approached her.

  "Hey Sam, need help with anything?" He offered.

  "Um... no. I'm just checking this invoice, we need to send out tomorrow," she answered as she typed away on her computer.

  "Okay. I'll wait until you're done," he sighed and took a free seat by her table.

  After a few minutes,
his eyes were drooping with tiredness, when Samantha shook him awake slightly. Axel rubbed his eyes and smiled sleepily at her.

  "Give me the keys. I'll drive you home today," she declared and he didn't argue for once. The traffic in New York didn't sound appealing for his present mood.

  "So, do I have to bring anything for the barbecue?" He inquired as she started the car and switched the gear.

  "Nothing. Mom got it all covered. Besides, Uncle Rick and Uncle Norman's family are also visiting. It's going to be a long night," she replied without taking her eyes from the road.

  "Should I be worried?"

  "Maybe," she chuckled. "How are Sara and Henry?"

  "They are good. You just met them yesterday and you are going to meet them in less than half an hour," he reminded her.

  "I know."

  "She never cared you know?" Axel looked distant suddenly as he gazed at the road ahead of them.

  Samantha knew this she was definitely not Sara. It was the one who broke his heart. "Tell me about it," she encouraged in a soft tone.

  "My dad worked in the same school I went as a Janitor. She never once acknowledged him or talked to him. When she came home, she would give disgusted looks, complaining about the dust and what not’s," he recalled.

  "She never ate or drank anything from my home. I've never thought about that before. When she would say no to everything I ask, I guessed she might be allergic. Because I had never seen her eating anything more than a few fruits and salads."

  Samantha chuckled at that and he joined her.

  "It is now I understand that she was on a diet to keep up her figure," he said, rolling his eyes.

  "You were really naïve," Samantha commented.

  "I was," he agreed. "Then, there was one time when my mom got really sick that I had to take a few days leave from school to take care of her. She never once called during those days or worse didn't even ask how my mom was when I told her about her sickness the day I came to school."

  "My friends claimed that she was cheating on me with someone else outside the school. They said that they saw her making out with someone in the parking lot outside the pizzeria. I didn't trust them, I fought with my friends that day and accused them of being jealous that I got the girl and not them. They all had a crush on her, you see."

  Samantha squeezed his hand in a comforting manner as he took a deep breath.

  "More than anyone or anything, I am angry with myself for not seeing the truth. My eyes were clouded and I refused to see all the signs that were there," he stated softly.

  "Once I saw her coming out of the locker with disheveled clothes and hair. A few minutes later, one of the notorious playboys exited the same room. That was the first time I started thinking about our relationship."

  "When I confronted her about it the next day, she accused me of being paranoid. That nothing happened in the locker room, she went in search of me and thought it was me who kissed her because there were no lights on the inside. Then, when she found out that it was not me, she pushed him off her and exited the room." He laughed dryly and took a swig from the water bottle before putting in back in its holder.

  Samantha stayed silent, concentrating on the road and listening to his story.

  "The funniest part of this is that I believed her every word and apologized for even doubting her a bit. She gave me a cold shoulder for a week after that and made me beg her in front of the school. Being a lovesick fool, I did that, for her."

  "I thought I was in love. I hurt her and I wanted to rectify that. I made myself a laughingstock of the school that day, yet I didn't give a crap because I had her."

  Anger bubbled within Samantha as she heard his words. That wretched woman. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the wheel tightly, honking at the driver who fueled her rage by not letting her pass.

  Axel looked distant and didn't speak anything further throughout the rest of the ride. Samantha cast a sideways glance at him and she knew what she had to do.

  Chapter – 25

  Samantha climbed two stairs at a time as she reached Eric's room.

  Knocking at her brother’s room door once, she entered the room to see Amelia sitting on the couch watching TV, Eric nowhere in the vicinity.

  "Hey Ami, where's Eric?"

  "In the gym," Amelia replied with a mouthful of Choco chips.

  "You know, your butt is going to get as huge as mine if you keep munching on that," Samantha teased.

  Amelia snorted as she scooped an other hand full of Choco chips. "I wish I had at least half of what you have. Nothing works for me though."

  It was true. No matter how much she ate, Amelia still looked like a runway model with a petite figure. "And, here I wish I had a body like yours," Samantha quipped.

  Amelia waved her off with another snort. "Your body is fine and I'm sure Axel would appreciate the generous assets."

  Samantha's cheeks heated up at her comment, Axel and her hot make-out session in Spain flashed in her memory.

  Amelia wiggled her eyebrows. "Is there anything you are not telling me?"

  "No," Samantha deadpanned.

  "Then it's definitely a yes. What did I miss?"

  "Ah... Nothing. I-I am gonna see Eric now," Samantha tried to leave.

  "Not so soon, Sammy. Did he get to the second base?" Amelia guessed, she was already on her feet stalking her.

  "Ah... um..." Samantha gasped, feeling like a fish out of water and the natural blush that stained her cheeks didn't help a bit.

  "Tell me everything," Amelia squealed and bounced on the couch before pulling Samantha with her.

  "Um... It was just a make-out session," Samantha admitted.

  "Oh my God! Tell me more." Amelia chirped excitedly.

  Samantha blushed furiously as she recalled everything happened in Spain, leaving out the details of Axel's anxiety attack.

  "That was awesome. I didn't know you had a mean bone in your body," Amelia laughed.

  "What? Are you joking? Show me a single bone in her body which is not mean," Eric commented as he entered the room.

  "Eric! Were you eavesdropping our conversation?" Amelia scowled.

  "Ah... No. Just heard the last part. What were you talking anyway?" Eric asked curiously.

  "Nothing, Samantha here kissed Axel just to stake a claim in front of a girl who was trying to dig her claws in him," Amelia explained.

  "Amelia!"

  "What?! You kissed him again?"

  Samantha and Eric exclaimed at the same moment.

  “It’s just a kiss, Eric,” Samantha rolled her eyes.

  "Shut it, Eric. Don't you dare pull the brother card on her now? It wasn’t like we weren’t fooling around before our wedding. We kept our relationship a secret for two years." Amelia crossed her arms and tapped her feet as she stood before Eric.

  "Do you really have to say this in front of her?" Eric groaned.

  "Exactly, you knew her secret so it's only fair she hold something against you if you decided to behave like a good son to your mom," Amelia deadpanned.

  "I won't tell her, okay," Eric threw his hands up in surrender. "Anyway, don't let him kiss you again."

  "I don't think poor Axel has a say in it," Amelia chuckled and Samantha blushed beet red.

  "Ami, honey. It's really hard as a brother to listen to all this. Sammy, can you please keep all the PDA stuff away from our eyes or knowledge," Eric pleaded.

  Samantha admired the fluffy rug underneath her feet as she bit her lip to stop the laughter that bubbled in her throat.

  "So, you were looking for Eric earlier. What is it?" Amelia started.

  "Oh, um... yeah. Eric, I need the contact number for the private investigation firm that you are in touch with," Samantha asked.

  Eric and Amelia shared a look which said they expected this sooner.

  "Um... sure. Why do you need it anyway?" Eric asked with a neutral emotion.

  "Just to take care of something on my own," Samantha gave him a lopsided grin.
<
br />   Eric once again looked at Amelia, who shrugged with a knowing smile. No one messed with a Sinclair. He gave her the contact number without asking anything further and Amelia whistled lowly once Samantha exited their room and was out of earshot.

  "I bet it's for that bitch, Alicia," Amelia announced.

  "You sure?"

  "One hundred percent."

  "Does she know everything?" Eric asked.

  "No. Though she didn't tell me everything she learned about Axel, I can tell that he has conveyed something about his past. Samantha won't be going all protective mode if he didn't open up," Amelia concluded.

  "Alicia is in for a rude awakening if Samantha is involved. What Axel has planned, will only ruin her financially. If Samantha is going to get involved like I believe, then she is good as dead," Eric mused.

  "Oh, I am so looking forward to that. That bitch deserves what's coming in her way," Amelia smirked and Eric couldn't agree more.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  Once inside the room, Samantha quickly dialed the number she got from her brother.

  "Hello Mr. Santiago, this is Samantha."

  "Ms. Sinclair?"

  "Yes."

  "Eric just called and informed that you would be contacting me. What do you need?"

  "I'm sure you were the one did a background check on Axel Finlayson," she stated.

  "That's right."

  "Great. Can you meet me tomorrow?" Samantha couldn't contain her excitement and moreover the curiosity.

  "That'd be a pleasure, Ms. Sinclair. I'm free in the morning."

  "Oh, call me Samantha, please. You can meet me in my office around ten a.m. tomorrow if that's not a trouble."

  "Not at all. I will see you there. Anything else you need?"

  "Not at the moment. We'll talk later," Samantha said and disconnected the call with a determined look.

  There is no running now, bitch.

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  The next morning, Daniel Santiago arrived sharply at ten a.m. to meet Samantha.

  "Hello Mr. Santiago, it's a pleasure meeting you," she greeted with a professional grin.

  "Call me Daniel please. And, it's my pleasure," he said with a curt nod.