Page 40 of Earned Husband

“They’ve been trying, but she’s flying well under the radar.” Richard sat up a little straighter. “I know it’s frustrating, but at least the investigation has finally turned up something else. This is what we’ve been waiting for.”

“Okay, so what happens if they can pin the fraud on her?” Jane asked. “Theywillfind a connection between her and this offshore account. I’m sure of it, so what does that mean for us?”

“It keeps almost a billion dollars in trust assets out of the repayment calculations associated with your father’s liabilities.”

A billion dollars of trusts intended for all of us. That would give Isaac, Ryan, Holden, and Wyatt back the futures they should’ve had. They could clear their student loans. They could make decisions for themselves rather than based on what they could afford.

So could I, for that matter, but I wasn’t worried about myself.

“So the case continues,” Jane said. “That’s what you’re saying?”

“Yes.” Richard grew serious again. “Also, not for nothing, but regardless of whether Mallory ever surfaces, her upcoming local court case could still help you. If the judge finds her guilty of white-collar crimes, it strengthens the argument that she was a principal actor rather than merely an accomplice.”

Jane nodded slowly, but my eyes slid shut. I didn’t need this. Not now.

Richard gave us an outline of the timelines involved, the hearings, and the procedural steps, but when the call finally ended and Isaac left, I knew my sister and I weren’t done here yet. I caught her eye while she was packing up her notes.

“Can we talk privately for a minute?”

“Sure,” she said, rising to shut the door Isaac had left open. “What’s up?”

“Is it even wise for me to go to Egypt right now?” I asked, coming straight out with it. “From the sounds of it, I could be there for going on a year. The engagement process alone could take months.”

Jane went back to where she’d been sitting, folding her arms on the table as she looked up at me. “This deal with GlobalStar has to go through, Colin.”

I ran a hand through my hair, knowing that from a business perspective, she was right. This was the opportunity of a lifetime. It would secure Thayer’s international future and open up access to markets we couldn’t even dream of right now, but I wasn’t only concerned about the company anymore.

Mostly, I was thinking about Deja and wondering how she felt about marrying into a family still drowning in court cases, missing money, federal investigations, and a scandal that refused to die. Surely, she couldn’t want that.

No matter how much both our companies—and CEOs—were burning to make this deal come true.

CHAPTER 18

DEJA

Cairo was loud. Even inside the Saad family estate, where the gates were guarded, the gardens were manicured, and the houses were so large that we never heard our neighbors, the city sounds found a way in.

I loved it. It was the soundtrack to my life, the horns beeping in the traffic and vendors calling out in the distance.

Our beautiful city vibrated with a restless energy that was unmatched anywhere else I’d visited in the world, and those sounds were a big part of it. I smiled as I leaned back on the lounger by the pool and tipped my face up toward the sun.

I had my own suite in our family home, complete with a sitting room and a balcony overlooking the gardens, but the pool was my favorite place on the whole property. When I had a spare moment, this was where my family always knew they could find me.

Jasmine, my younger sister, proved that when she lowered herself into the chair beside mine already wearing a swimsuit and with sunglasses covering half her face. Within seconds of sitting down, she accepted the drink from a staff member and turned to face me.

“Alright,” she said as soon as we were alone. “I’ve given you time to settle back in and get caught up on work.”

I smiled at her. “Uh, thank you?”

“You’re welcome, but what that means is that your reprieve is officially over. Tell me everything. I want to know what happened every second you were in America.”

I laughed but gave in. Resistance was futile when it came to Jasmine, who was not only my sister, but my best friend. I told her all about the trip, but even I noticed that the thing I spoke about most wasn’t a thing at all. It was Colin.

She gave me a soft smile when I finally fell silent. “Well, I’m glad you got to enjoy it for a while before the whole family gets involved.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Dad has already started telling everyone you might be getting engaged. You know as well as I do that our aunts are going to be all over us about it very soon. They’re going to be unbearable.”