Chapter 29

Six hours later when Jadon left the office he was ready to strangle someone. Fatigue weighed heavily in every step he took from the building entrance to his car. Jadon felt as though his body was weighed down by lead balls. All Jadon wanted to think about was a hot shower and his bed.

After his father left, Jadon pushed all his other work into the pending box and focused solely on the Sunset estate deal as a last-ditch effort to solve the mystery and save his skin. But unfortunately, hours of pondering over the contract hadn't yielded any positive results or answers.

Jadon still didn't understand why he was being blackmailed not to take the deal so he couldn't begin to fathom who was behind it and how to get them off his back so he could still close the deal and please his father.

Hence, Jadon had reached the conclusion that he would have to get ahead of the problem the only way he could. Besides, there was no guarantee that the blackmailer would leave him alone once he did what he was told and canceled the deal. There was every possibility that the man would be back with more demands until Jadon couldn't do what he was told and the truth was blown out of the water. By then, Jadon knew the damage would be worse and all his sacrifices would have been for nothing.

He couldn't allow himself to be played like that. Which was why Jadon had reached his conclusion. He either took charge of the situation or the situation took charge of him. He knew he should probably call his friends and seek their advice but after the talk with his father, Jadon knew what his friends would say he should do and what he would do were two different things and he wasn't in the mood for an argument.

He was almost reaching his car, his mind coming to terms with the consequences of his decision when he realized he wasn't alone. On instinct, Jadon clenched his free hand into a fist and whirled around, ready to knock out whoever was stalking him.

His fist froze in the air when he saw who it was. For a second, Jadon was stunned stupid. All he could do was stare at the woman illuminated by the security lights positioned around the car park so that no one fell over their feet if they happened to be there in the dead of night. Not that many employees made it a habit to put in over time.

"Tapiwa?" he finally managed to croak out after a handful of seconds had passed. What the hell was she doing there?  Jadon mused even as he looked her up and down.

She still had on the same clothes she had worn when he saw her that morning in his office. When he had barely kissed her. The thought fell back in his mind like a solid rock and sunk deep until he felt it in parts of his body that should have stayed dormant. At least until he got home and could deal with it.

Suddenly, Jadon felt rage wash over him. The emotion was only half directed toward Tapiwa of course. The rest he kept for himself. Somehow his path crossing with Tapiwa had been the biggest mistake of his life. He now stood on the edge of a cliff. Below was a pool of fire and behind him a loaded gun. Either way, he was done for.

If he did what the blackmailer said, Jadon would have to face his father and the board of directors and explain why he canceled a lucrative business deal. He would be fired on the spot and his father would probably disown him.

On the other hand, if Jadon didn't do what the blackmailer instructed and allowed the deal to go through, then the man would release his and Tapiwa's secret to the world. Again, Jadon would have to face his father and the board. He would definitely lose his job, be disowned, and possibly be arrested.

He was screwed if he did, screwed if he didn't. To say that it was the wrong time to be confronted with Tapiwa again was an understatement. Especially since he had no patience left in him. Jadon snarled. "What are you doing here?"

Tapiwa frowned and wrapped her arms around herself. She visibly shuddered whether from the weather or his tone, Jadon wasn't sure. "I waited for you."

"Obviously," Jadon deadpanned. "The question is why? You shouldn't be here."

The young woman arched a brow at him as though he had just said something ridiculous. "So, it's okay for you to wait for me outside my place of work but I can't do the same thing?"

She had him there but Jadon wasn't about to back down. "I had every reason to wait for you. We needed to talk."

"Funny. Because that's why I am still here," she fired back.

Jadon narrowed his eyes. He clenched his jaw. "You could have simply come back up to my office instead of practicing your stalker skills. Or called. You have my number.  Anyway" He waved his free hand in the air. "Speak. It's late and we both shouldn't be standing here in the dark. Especially after everything that's been happening."

Just then, Tapiwa looked around the car park as though just realizing where she was and how late it had gotten. He practically heard her swallow before she met his gaze again hers full of apprehension now.

"Yeah. Okay. I will make this fast. I do need to get home," she said quickly. "I just wanted to know what you planned to do about the blackmailer and whoever is following me." She looked around again as though she expected her stalker to jump out of the shadows and attack them right there.

Jadon felt sorry for her. He really did. But he had to make a hard decision and he was pissed he had been forced into making it in the first place. "I'm not going to entertain any blackmailer," he said sharply.

A confused frown creased Tapiwa's forehead. She tilted her head slightly to the side and regarded him with palpable apprehension. "What does that mean?"

Jadon broke eye contact and looked around toward the distant dark shadows. Part of him wondered if the blackmailer or the man who had attacked Tapiwa was out there watching. Taking more pictures. He didn't care. He had made a decision.

"It means I suggest you confess everything to your family before it hits social media and all the news stations. I will not jeopardize my father's company to please a criminal."

Tapiwa's eyes widened. She took a step back, her trembling hand coming up to cover her mouth. Her head shook in denial. "You wouldn't," she choked, the words muffled by her hand.

Jadon steeled his spine, refusing to be moved. "The story will blow over in a few days. Someone else will do something stupid and everyone will forget about some random pictures of two adults having sex at a party."

In an instant, anger flashed through her eyes, replacing the disbelief and dread that had been there a few seconds ago. Tapiwa dropped her hand and took a step back toward him. Her voice took on a harsh tone. "Blow over? For you perhaps. My life will never be the same again! My father will kill me!"

"And you think mine will spare me?" Jadon snapped at her, his taller frame looming over hers. He glared and pointed at the company building behind him. "I will be lucky if I don't get tossed out of the tenth-floor window when all this shit hits the fan. But at least the company would have the deal and my father would have one less thing to curse me for."

God, that sounded pathetic even to his own ears but he was out of options. Jadon let out a dry chuckle before he continued. "Don't think for a second I will be sipping cocktails when this happens. I won't have a job and maybe not even a family."

Tapiwa shook her head clearly perplexed. "Then why let it happen? There must be another way."

"Is there?" Jadon challenged. "Am all ears. Let's hear it. What is your grand plan? Unless you know who the bastard behind all this is, then our hands are tied. Or what? Do what the blackmailer wants today. Then what happens when he is back tomorrow demanding more? Huh? Have you thought of that? The thing is, all the demands will be on my shoulders. You are just the leverage being used against me."

To his surprise, the woman flinched as though he had slapped her but Jadon wasn't going to sugarcoat things. He had a problem and he was going to deal with it the only way he thought best.

"The only way to deal with blackmailers is to cut off their power. I'm sorry to say but you mean nothing to me, Tapiwa. You are a stranger. My brother's ex-girlfriend. As far as leverage goes, you were a poor pick. I'm just sorry you got tangled up in whatever this was but this is the best way to end things. I will sign the deal for the company. The blackmailer will expose what happened between us and then he will have no more power over me and no need to come after you in the street or try to drown you in a pool. That will be the end of everything."

Jadon pressed his lips together, realizing he was explaining himself like an idiot. He had no obligation to justify his decision. This was happening whether Tapiwa wanted it or not. Still, he softened his voice a little as he continued. "Go home, Tapiwa. Tell your family. I don't think it will be as bad as you think."

She didn't respond but he saw the slight shake of her head and the tear that rolled down her cheek. It nearly broke him. Jadon looked away. He couldn't be there and watch her cry. The urge to pull her into his arms and comfort her was almost too strong to resist.

So, without a word, Jadon turned and stormed over to his car. He had it unlocked and he was behind the wheel in a matter of seconds. Jadon didn't look at Tapiwa even though he felt her eyes on him the entire time.

He didn't understand why it felt so hard and wrong to walk away from her but he wasn't going to cave. Throwing the car into drive, Jadon peeled out of the car park. When his eyes finally sought her out in the rearview mirror before he turned onto the road, she wasn't there. His chest squeezed painfully but Jadon told himself it was for the best.