Corporate Plaything

Ralph turned to Justin. “She’s fine.”

“Am I…dead?” She scrambled to sit up. Matt helped her. She examined her hand and wriggled her fingers. All seemed intact, including her pinkie that had been broken with a nutcracker. How was this even possible? She should be dead meat. She couldn’t swim. Plus, logically, no one could survive after falling from that cliff. If the ocean hadn’t drowned her, the rocks below would have shredded her body to pieces.

“No, baby, you’re fine. But you gave us quite a fright,” Justin told her.

Anna studied her surroundings. The place didn’t look like the estate, the villa. It was…grander. More opulent. Her gaze drifted up. The bedroom ceiling was so high, one could fit a two-story building in here. The walls were plastered with rare, black granite-like stone. Luxurious draperies adorned every window. All the furniture in the room was carved from an exotic dark wood with intricate patterns. Definitely a room fit for a king.

“Where am I?”

“Azura.” Justin spread his hands. “Our home.”

“Netherworld?”

“Correct.”

“How…?” Anna ran her hands through her hair. “The last thing I remember is that I fell.”

“You did. But Ralph caught you in time. He brought you here and healed you.”

Healed? Ralph? She recalled Ralph saying he was a healer of his people or something. “How long have I been here?”

“About a day and a night. You sustained quite an injury.”

Anna checked her hands again, then turned to Ralph. “How could you possibly fix my broken finger in a day and a night?”

Ralph smiled. “Easy. I just chanted the magic word and ‘bam’! Finger healed.”

“Seriously.”

“I’m serious.” Ralph furrowed his eyebrows and held her gaze evenly. He wasn’t kidding.

All of this just didn’t make sense. “Thank you. But I think I must go.”

Three pair of eyes watched her with intensity.

Panic started to creep in again. Anna guessed this time there was no way around it anymore. She must come clean to the brothers. Her father was in danger and she had to go to the FBI before it was too late.

She took a deep breath. “I have a confession. I’m not the person you all think I am. I’m a thief.”

“Oh?” Justin’s eyebrow arched up. “What did you steal?”

Heat burned her cheeks. She fixed her stare on her lap. “I’m supposed to get Surrender’s secret formula. My father and I were blackmailed by this man, Ivan Koleniskov, and he threatened to hurt my father if I didn’t deliver that formula in three days. I need to go to the Feds. And after I settle my business with the Feds, I’ll take full responsibility for my actions. I’m very sorry for deceiving you. I really am.” Anna didn’t dare to move after she spewed out what had burned her mind and her soul for the past two weeks. An immense relief washed over her, but new dread blossomed. What were Justin and his brothers going to do with her? They were going to be furious. After everything they did for her, she’d been planning to repay them with treachery. She felt ashamed.

Anna lifted her head and saw all three men grinning.

Wait…

“We know who you are, little spy.” Justin laughed. “Though I must say, you give James Bond a bad name.”

Her eyes widened. “You know… How?”

“Do you think we’d hire someone without checking her background first? I saw you in Marian Bancroft’s office. Couldn’t believe myself that I’d finally found you.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Well, we have something to confess to you, too. We’re not really fashion designers. We’re actually Azurian chatharnak on a quest to find our mate. You, Anna.”

“Chat-what?”