The temptation of my brother-in-law-Chapter 94 - ninety four

Chapter Ninety-Four

Malachi’s POV

I was just coming out of the study after the talk with my father. The conversation had gone on longer than I’d expected. Longer than any conversation we’d had in years, actually.

The fact that we’d talked that long was weird and unfamiliar. Tom Blackwood wasn’t known for heart-to-hearts. He was efficient. Direct. Said what needed to be said and moved on. But today he’d lingered. Asked questions about my plans. About Alicia. About what I was really doing back in Silver Lake City.

I’d deflected most of it. Given him enough truth to satisfy without revealing the full scope of what I was planning. But it had been exhausting. Maintaining that balance. Keeping my father at arm’s length while not pushing him away entirely.

I was still processing the conversation when I turned the corner and nearly collided with someone.

My mother. Layla.

She was standing in the hallway like she’d been waiting. Her eyes were red-rimmed but dry now. She’d cried herself out, apparently.

"Malachi," she said. Her voice was soft. Hesitant. "Can we talk?"

I looked at her. Really looked at her. This woman who’d given birth to me. Who’d been absent most of my childhood, focused on social climbing and maintaining appearances. Who’d enabled Travis’s worst behaviors for years.

I felt nothing. No sympathy. No anger. Just a cold emptiness where familial affection should have been.

"I’m busy," I said.

"Please. Just a few minutes. I know you’re upset about the positions Pa Wood gave you and—"

"I’m not upset about anything." That was true. I’d gotten exactly what I wanted. "I just don’t have time for this conversation."

"Malachi, please. I’m your mother."

"Biologically, yes." I moved to step around her. "But that’s where it ends."

"How can you be so cold? I raised you—"

"You raised Travis. I just happened to be there." I stopped and looked back at her. The truth of those words settling between us like a blade. "You made your choices, Mother. Now you get to live with the consequences."

Her face crumpled but I didn’t stay to see the tears fall.

I walked away. Didn’t look back. Didn’t feel guilty. She’d had years to be a proper mother. Years to show she cared about anyone other than Travis. It was too late now for regrets and reconciliation.

When I turned another corner, I saw exactly who I wanted to see.

Sasha.

She was walking quickly, her head down. Trying to avoid being noticed. Trying to slip away undetected after the disaster she’d caused last night.

Not happening.

"Sasha," I called out. My voice carried just enough menace to make her freeze.

Her shoulders went rigid. Then she slowly turned around, forcing a smile onto her face that didn’t reach her eyes.

"Uncle Malachi. I was just—"

"We need to talk." I moved closer, watching her try not to back away. "About last night."

"I don’t know what you mean." But her voice shook. She knew exactly what I meant.

"The party. The messages. Your little announcement." I kept walking toward her until she had no choice but to back up against the wall. "Want to explain that to me?"

"I was just trying to help the family—"

"Help?" I placed my hand on the wall next to her head, caging her in. Not touching her, but making it clear she had nowhere to go. "By creating a scandal? By trying to destroy Alicia?"

"I wasn’t trying to destroy anyone. I just thought people should know—"

"Should know what, exactly?" My voice dropped lower. Dangerous. "What were you planning to expose?"

Her eyes darted away from mine. "I don’t know. I mean, I wasn’t the one who—"

"Don’t lie to me, Sasha. I have very little patience today." I leaned closer, my face inches from hers. "Tell me everything. Now."

She was trembling. I could see her pulse racing in her throat. Good. She should be scared.

"An anonymous account contacted me," she said quickly. "A few days before the party. They said they had information about Alicia. That she wasn’t who she pretended to be."

"What information?"

"They didn’t tell me specifics. Just said it was damaging. That it would show everyone what kind of person she really was." The words tumbled out faster now. "They said if I helped them, they’d make sure the truth came out."

"Helped them how?"

"They needed access to the venue’s control room. To the systems." She was breathing hard, panic written across her face. "I just had to make sure the back entrance was unlocked at a specific time. That’s all."

My jaw clenched. Someone had been planning this. Had approached Sasha because she was easy to manipulate. Because her jealousy and resentment toward Alicia made her the perfect pawn.

"And you agreed? Without even knowing what they planned to send?"

"They said it was about protecting the family. About exposing someone who didn’t belong here." Her voice cracked. "I thought I was doing the right thing."

I moved my hand from the wall to her throat. Not squeezing. Just resting there. A promise of what I could do if I wanted to. Her pulse hammered against my palm.

"Did it ever occur to you," I said softly, dangerously, "that you were being used? That someone played you like the naive little girl you are?"

"I’m not naive—"

My fingers tightened slightly. Just enough to make her gasp. "Yes, you are. You let a stranger manipulate you into attacking a family member. You had no idea what they were planning to send. It could have destroyed the entire family’s reputation."

"I didn’t mean— I’m sorry—" Tears were streaming down her face now.

"Sorry doesn’t fix this." I studied her terrified expression. The way she was shaking. The complete submission in her posture. "Did you ever find out who was behind the account?"

"No. I tried asking but they never answered. They stopped responding after the party."

Someone smart then. Covering their tracks. Using Sasha and then disappearing before questions could be asked.

"What exactly did they tell you about Alicia?"

"Nothing specific. Just that she was hiding things. That she’d betrayed the family. That people deserved to know the truth."

So Sasha didn’t know about the affair. Didn’t know about me and Alicia. She’d just been told vague accusations and let her own jealousy fill in the blanks.

I could tell from her terrified expression that this was all she knew. She’d been a pawn. A useful idiot. Nothing more.

But she’d still put Alicia in danger. Still tried to destroy her. And that required consequences.

"Listen to me very carefully," I said, my hand still resting on her throat. "If you ever try something like this again, if you ever go after Alicia again, I will make you regret being born. Do you understand?"

She nodded frantically, unable to speak with my hand in place.

"And if you tell anyone about this conversation, if you mention to anyone that someone contacted you, I’ll know. And I’ll come find you." I leaned even closer, my lips almost touching her ear. "You have no idea what I’m capable of, Sasha. And you don’t want to find out."

"I understand," she choked out. "I won’t say anything. I swear."

I released her throat and stepped back. She slumped against the wall, gasping and crying.

"Get out of my sight."

She ran. Actually ran down the hallway away from me, her sobs echoing off the walls.

I stood there for a moment, watching her flee. Feeling that familiar darkness settle over me. The part of me that enjoyed the fear. That found satisfaction in watching people break.

It should have bothered me. Should have made me question myself.

But it didn’t. Not when it came to protecting Alicia. Not when it came to eliminating threats.

I pulled out my phone and called Maurice.

"Sir?"

"I need you to get me the security feeds from the venue last night. All of them. Especially the back entrance and control room areas."

"I’ll have them by tonight."

"And I need Sasha’s phone records. Calls and texts. Going back at least two weeks."

"That might take a little longer but I’ll get them."

"How long?"

"Two days. Maybe three."

"Make it two. We don’t have time to waste."

"Yes, sir. Anything else?"

"Start looking into anonymous messaging accounts. Someone’s been using them to manipulate family members. I want to know who and I want to know why."

"I’ll get on it immediately."

I ended the call and headed toward my room. The adrenaline from the confrontation with Sasha was still pumping through me. That edge of violence that was always just below the surface.

I needed to calm down. To think clearly. To plan my next moves without emotion clouding my judgment.

When I got to my room, I closed the door and locked it. Pulled out my laptop and opened the CCTV feeds.

I found Alicia’s camera first. Wanting to see her. Needing to make sure she was okay after this morning’s announcement.

But she wasn’t there. The room was empty. Bed made. Everything neat and in place. But no Alicia.

I frowned. Where was she? It was mid-afternoon. She should be there. Resting. Processing everything.

Unless something had happened. Unless she’d left for a reason I didn’t know about.

Concern twisted in my chest. An unfamiliar feeling. I didn’t like not knowing where she was. Didn’t like the vulnerability that came with caring about someone this much.

I made a note to find her later. To check on her. To make sure she was safe.

For now, I had work to do. Files to review. Information to process.

I opened my laptop properly and started going through everything Maurice had sent. Financial records. Security reports. Patterns and connections.

I was deep into analyzing offshore account transfers when my phone buzzed. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

A text message. From a number I hadn’t seen in years. A number I’d hoped never to see again.

Cecilia Jones.

I stared at the name on my screen. Every muscle in my body going tense. Every instinct screaming that this was bad.

Why was Cecilia contacting me? After all this time? After everything that had happened?

I opened the message with a sense of dread. Whatever this was, it couldn’t be good.

And as I read the words on my screen, that dread transformed into something much darker.

Much more dangerous.

Because Cecilia Jones didn’t reach out unless there was blood in the water.

And judging by this message, someone was about to drown in it.