02 - Be my Mistress

As soon as Genevieve walked into the room, she found her sister and mom sitting on the sofa, bawling their eyes out.

“What’s going on? Where’s Dad, and why are you guys crying?”

However, she noticed that their tears increased at the mention of her dad. Her heart skipped a beat. Had Dad had some accident?

“What happened to Dad? Can somebody answer me please?’ she half-screamed, her panic rising through the roof now, and she was already finding it hard to breathe.

“Henry took him away, Genevieve. He was here this morning and accused Dad of manipulating market readings and insider trading with some people. They said it’s a crime.” Gabriella filled her in amidst tears, and Genevieve froze.

She knew Henry was lying; he was trying to get back at her even after dumping her. He was trying to make sure she was ruined for life because everyone would avoid them like a plague the moment her father was outed as a thief.

Wolf Street was bloody, and everyone was always out for each other’s heads, but not her father. Genevieve grew up knowing one of the most honest men. All this must be Henry's trick!

She fished her phone out of her pocket and would call Henry and talk some sense into him. She was going to accept their engagement was over, but she wouldn’t accept her father being labeled a criminal.

“Let me speak to Henry first; he has a reason for this madness. I’m sure there’s a misunderstanding somewhere,” she told them before stepping aside to call her ex-fiance.

The call rang three times without an answer, but Genevieve wouldn’t give up. If he thought he would get away with ruining their family, he’s in for some rude awakening. The call connected after the fourth try, and Genevieve almost sighed in relief.

“Henry, you took my father why?” She asked in one breath, and she heard him hiss loudly. She was familiar with his antics; he was trying to make her mad so he could justify his act, and she would lose her temper and say a lot of things.

“You think I would let you walk away for free like that? What do you take me for? A fool or what?’ He snickered, and Genevieve felt her heart sink even more.

Her guess was right that this was Henry's revenge, but why? If anyone deserved to get revenge, it should be her. She was the one who wasted five years of her life loving a hypocrite like him.

“You know he is innocent.” she cried back, and he only laughed as if she cracked a hilarious joke.

“Tell that to the S.E.C. I sent them a truckload of evidence, and I don’t see your father walking out of this one alive. You need to brace yourself.” He replied, and Genevieve’s heart fell.

Henry was known always to bribe his way through things; she had seen him do it to multiple people, and not one day did she think she would ever be on the receiving end of it.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked amidst tears, making him happier. Genevieve could hear the excitement in his voice.

“You are asking the wrong questions, sweetheart. I’ve always known you to be slow, but not this slow.” he sighed in irritation, and Genevieve willed herself not to get angry and lose her temper. Her entire family depended on whatever decision this idiot made.

“What questions should I be asking?” she asked. She knew it was not the time to annoy him for her father's sake.

“Now that’s a good girl. The right questions should be: how do you get him out of S.E.C.’s net? They’ve been looking for a scapegoat for quite a while, and if care is not taken, your father will pay heavily for his crimes. Good news, love, you can get him out of there unscathed,” he replied gloatingly.

“How can I get him out of there?” she asked, trying not to let her voice quiver. Somehow, Genevieve knew his following words would shatter her. Henry always had a demonic trick up his sleeves.

“Easy peasy, sweetheart. You will be my mistress, sleep with me for the next five years without causing a public mess, and I guarantee you your father’s freedom. Not even a scratch would be on him. It’s really up to you, baby.”

Genevieve had never wanted to hit the wall badly, the way she wanted to right now. The audacity of Henry to want to turn her into one of his playthings while he married his best friend was alarming.

“Over my dead body, would I sleep with you again, Henry? You made your choices clear, and there’s no going back now. You are a sick bastard if you think I’d continue to sleep with you to make you release my father of a crime he’s innocent about!"

"I will make you pay for this, Henry; watch me.” She ended up screaming into the phone, and all Henry did was laugh at her even more.

“I will be waiting here, sweetheart, when you are ready to take my deal. I’m sure you’d come crawling to beg me.” He snickered before hanging up, making Genevieve even madder.

She hurled her phone at the wall and let out a high-pitched scream.

Fuck Henry Sterling for wanting to ruin her life.

“Do you think he would go through with his words about making Dad suffer?” Gabriella asked, snapping Genevieve out of her thoughts.

Instead of giving her a definitive answer, she moved close to her and pressed her tightly to her own body. She wanted to promise her sister that it would all be all right and that they would be fine, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it; it wasn’t true, and Gabriella knew it too.

Genevieve needed her father to be back home unscathed, but there was no way they would get out of it without bowing down to Henry or finding him a strong contender.

Someone like Adrian Voss.