One Night With A Mysterious Billionaire (The Heiress's Revenge)-Chapter 18: The Gift.

Raymond’s POV

I waited a few minutes before going downstairs. I stood by the kitchen door for a while when I got there.

I imagined having sex with her on that table, and I knew I would end up doing just that to put my mind at ease, which I later did, and I enjoyed it.

After the night’s activities with Lena, I woke up feeling refreshed. I had a lot to do, so I didn’t bother lingering and went about my day.

I took my bath, styled my hair backward, put on a black shirt and black pants, just howw I like it, and went into my painting room. I looked around and saw nothing out of place, which meant Lena hadn’t been there.

That was a good thing, it meant she knew how to follow instructions.

I picked up what brought me there: my signature cane that looked like a walking stick. Whenever I was seen with it, even in social circles, people trembled because it meant war and blood.

I came downstairs and walked toward my car. I was using the Rolls-Royce Sport today. Liam was already in the car waiting for me. My driver, a man in his early forties, Jerry, took the wheel.

"Good morning, Mr. Black," Jerry greeted as he opened the door for me.

"Good morning," I replied.

"Good morning, Raymond," Liam said.

"Good morning, Liam." I noticed his mood, and I knew it had something to do with Sylvia, but I decided to ignore it. I knew he would tell me when he was ready.

As I adjusted myself in the seat and looked through the window, I saw Sullivan, one of the drivers I assigned to Lena. I beckoned to him, and he ran over.

"I pay you to be a bodyguard and a driver, so I expect you to do your job perfectly," I said immediately as he got close. "I don’t want what happened at the coffee shop to repeat itself. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," he responded swiftly. I knew he understood exactly what I meant.

"You can go. Make sure you keep an eye on her at all times."

He nodded before leaving.

Jerry started the engine, and the car rolled to life as he sped up, fast and steady, just the way I like to be driven.

"Sir, we were able to trace the origin of the malicious comments about Lena online, and they all point back to Ashley."

I already knew. This kind of half-baked tactic could only come from someone like her. I leaned back against the car seat and listened as Liam continued, giving me every detail I had requested.

"We discovered that her approach toward Miss Smith was meant to provoke a reaction she could later use against her.

She paid someone to secretly record and edit every confrontation between herself and Miss Smith, then posted the videos online to incite public outrage.

The goal was character assassination, and possibly to cause Smith Enterprise’s stocks to plummet."

I smiled coldly. I could see her game clearly from afar. But under my watch, no one would steal my kitten’s company.

"Did you locate the news outlet that released the story first?" I asked.

"Yes, sir. It wasn’t a company, it was an influencer named Joseph Morgan. His social media handle is jgossip.

People pay him to spread gossip about celebrities and high-profile individuals."

"And?"

"He claimed he did it for free because Ashley promised him more exposure. Since Miss Smith is a major name and one of York City’s high-society elites, he thought it would benefit him."

Who didn’t know the Smiths’ eldest daughter, the woman who inherited her mother’s company instead of her father? That alone had stirred chaos in elite circles when it happened.

I skimmed through the file Liam handed me, listening as he continued.

"Ashley didn’t pay him. According to our findings, it wasn’t generosity, it was because she didn’t have the money to afford his services."

I smiled faintly without lifting my gaze. Typical. Someone my kitten had fed for years would naturally grow bold.

"Do we have the influencer?" I asked.

"Yes, sir."

"And the hooligan?" My eyes paused on a particular page.

"We identified the man paid to sleep with Miss Smith. His name is John Guerrero. He runs a small-scale street drug operation, not high class."

Liam paused before continuing.

"Our investigation revealed he had been pursuing Miss Smith for a long time. When Evans contacted him for help, he volunteered himself instead of sending one of his men. We apprehended him while he was attempting to flee the country."

"So he wasn’t just a hired thug," I said calmly. "He wanted Lena for himself. Continue."

"The plan wasn’t only to take her company. If he succeeded in sleeping with her, they intended to blackmail her into marrying her rapist."

How low could people sink? I thought

A dark chuckle escaped me as something cold light flashed through my eyes.

"We didn’t interrogate him," Liam added carefully.

"We assumed you’d prefer to handle that yourself."

"This is enough," I replied flatly.

Liam’s face darkened, but I ignored it. Whatever burden he carried, he would tell me eventually, so I decided not to ask him.

Soon, we arrived at the East Wing. I had three teams, the Tiger Team that followed me to York City, and the Lion and Silent Teams stationed back in Vegas City.

"We’re here, sir," Liam said.

I opened the door before the driver could step out.

"Sir, please—you don’t need to—"

One sharp look from me stopped him from continuing his talk. I was not in the mood for chatter and flattering..He stepped back immediately, bowing.

I walked with measured strides, my cane tapping softly against the floor, Liam following silently beside me.

We reached a building similar to my residence, except this one housed my staff, and my private interrogation chambers. The estate sprawled like a country manor, complete with two helicopters stationed on the grounds.

Roman, my head of security, was already waiting.

"Welcome, sir," he said, moving quickly to meet me.

I acknowledged him with a nod.

"Sir, we’ve brought both the influencer and the man who was paid—"

A glance silenced him.

"They’re in the garage," he corrected himself.

"Good. The sooner I finish this, the better." I had no intention of allowing my kitten’s name to be spoken in the same breath as that filth any longer.

As I walked, members of the Tiger Team scattered out of my path. Some greeted me quietly; others stayed frozen in place.

Inside the room, Roman pulled out a chair for me. I sat and gestured for the blindfolds to be removed.

The moment they were uncovered, I watched their eyes dart around, until they landed on me. Shock and terror flooded the influencer’s face.

Good. He knew who I was.

Their mouths were taped shut, muffled sounds escaping them. I gestured again. Roman removed the tape from the influencer’s mouth only.

The man immediately broke down, screaming and confessing, ruining the fun I would’ve had dragging it out of him.

"Spineless. Useless," I muttered.

"Sir, please believe me," he begged. "I didn’t know she was your woman. I didn’t know she was innocent. Ashley instigated everything, and I didn’t even gain anything from it."

That last part sounded more like regret than guilt.

"Mr. Black, please—"

He was shaking violently.

"Why didn’t you verify the information before posting it?" I asked calmly.

"I wanted to break out online. I needed something viral. I didn’t check if it was true."

"So you’ll accept whatever punishment I give you?"

"Yes, sir. Anything. Please, just don’t kill me." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Was my reputation truly that terrifying?

I ignored him and motioned for the other man’s tape to be removed.

The hooligan immediately began issuing threats, bragging about his street connections.

I chuckled darkly. "You’re playing with fire."

The influencer looked horrified, I could tell he pitied the fool.

"I don’t know who you are," the man snarled, "but if you touch me, I’ll slaughter your family. I’ll enjoy your sisters and mother first."

"Is that so?" I asked softly.

He smirked. "Pretty boys like you sell well too. High-class men would pay fortunes for a night. Let me go, and I’ll forget this."

"You just made this easy for me," I said lightly.

"I was trying to be merciful today. You ruined that."

I whispered something to Roman. His eyes widened before he nodded and left.

The man kept cursing. I simply smiled.

"Relax," I said calmly. "Your gift is arriving."

His words died when weapons were brought in, knives of various sizes, and a gun.

I stepped closer. "You were saying?"

Fear finally broke him.

"I’m sorry! Evans and Ashley made me do it!" He shouted frantically. "Please, I won’t even breathe the same air as Lena again!"

"You won’t," I replied. "Because I will make sure of that."

His eyes widened, and I enjoyed every second.