Page 16 of Velvet Secrets

“I might be in the wrong place.” I began. “I’m here to see?—”

“Come in, Ms. Jade.” He stepped aside and waved me in.

My brows furrowed, but I slowly stepped in the room switching places with him as he pulled the door shut. I turned around expecting to see Gerald and to ask him what was going on, but got the shock of my life when I saw…

“Sin?” I questioned, narrowing my eyes. “What the hell is this? What are you doing here and where is Gerald?”

He sat back in his chair, shamelessly allowing his eyes to wash over me.

“Good to see you again, beautiful.”

My brows dipped in anger. “Sin, what the fuck?—”

“Now, is that a way to talk to the man that owns your secrets?” He smirked and my nostrils flared in even more anger. “Velvet Secrets that is,” he clarified. “The others are safe with me.”

“What are you talking about?” I snapped. “Where is Gerald?”

“Where Gerald is or isn’t, isn’t important,” he answered.

“What do you meannot important?” I snapped. “I scheduled this meeting withhim.”

“But you’re here with me now.” He smiled. “And after you sign this lease, you’ll be with me for… the time isn’t important.”

My eyes traveled to the document he’d pushed forward.

A lease?

What lease?

What the hell is going on?

Is he saying…

“You—What are you saying Sin?” I took a step closer to peek at the paper.

“I’m saying, baby girl, I ownallof your secrets.” He smirked. “The ones you’ve built and the ones we created.”

Stunned.

I was completely stunned hearing the news. He owned my secrets?

Did that mean he knew…

“You knew who I was when you came into my club?” I glared at him. “You knew about this shit the whole time?!”

He nodded. “I did.”

“I asked you!” I spat. “I asked you what you wanted!”

“And I told—well, showed you what I wanted,” he replied. “Were my plans to come in there and findyou? No. But I did so plans changed.”

How could he be so nonchalant about this shit?

Things like this were why I prided myself on not mixing business with pleasure. I had no plans toeversee Sin again. I’d already let my team know that he couldn’t come back because what happened between us was just—I didn’t know what it was, but I knew it couldn’t happen again so I put precautions in place to make sure that didn’t happen, and now he owned the building?

“You did this on purpose.” I shouted, pointing to the paper.

“Did what on purpose?”

“Bought the building.” I snapped. “Or whatever you did to make this happen.”

“I acquired it.”

“You’re disgusting.” I hissed, turning to leave. I made it all the way to the door but paused with my hand on the handle when he started to speak.

“You can go, Avani, I’m not stopping you. Because you’ll carry me with you—in your skin, on your breath… in that quiet moment when no one’s watching. That’s where I’ll be.” I didn’t look back at him, but I did wait for what was next. “This won’t be the last time. You and I both know that.”

The End!!!

For now.