The Seduction 3

by Sloane, Roxy

  Oh God.

  “Stop it. STOP!” I yell, leaping up and grabbing the remote from Brent’s hand. I rip the disc from the machine and grind it with my heel, snapping it in two.

  Brent laughs. “I’ve got copies. Fuck, you guys didn’t give it a rest. You really are a dirty little slut.”

  My head spins. I feel sick, to see our private, intimate passion playing out for them to see. God, Brent’s been watching it all. All this time!

  “Why are you doing this?” I whisper, choking back sobs. I feel so betrayed, like the walls are caving in. “What do you want from me?”

  “I want what’s mine.” Brent’s smile drops, and I see the rage hiding under his cruel laughter. His eyes drill into me, full of contempt. “Ashcroft Industries should belong to me. My father must have been out of his mind to think I’d stand by and let anyone steal my company, my property!”

  He’s yelling now, spit flying from his mouth at every angry word. I shrink back, scared.

  He’s the crazy one, not his father. I can see it in his eyes: he’s way out of control.

  Brent catches his breath, dialing it back. “Don’t worry, I’m willing to make you a generous settlement.” He pulls some papers from his jacket pocket, and lays them on the desk. “This contract transfers all your shares to me, and agrees to install me as CEO and publicly back all my proposals for the company.”

  “Like breaking it in pieces and selling it off,” I realize in horror, scanning the document.

  “You’ll be paid a million dollars for your troubles,” Brent adds with a sneer. “Which is more than compensation, considering it looks like it was no trouble at all.”

  He leans closer, sliding his hand over my arm. “If I’d known you were such a filthy animal, we could have had some fun.”

  I shudder, pushing him away. “What if I don’t sign?” I think fast. “What happens then?”

  “Then I release these tapes on the internet. All of them.”

  I feel dizzy again, and hold onto the desk for support. “You can’t...”

  Brent gives a cruel laugh. “Oh, I will. Journalists have been buzzing to get to know the new heir to Ashcroft Industries. I bet they’d love to know what a whore you are. I’m guessing a sex tape would trigger that morality clause in five seconds flat. You’d be disinherited, and I’d get the company anyway -- but you’d be a national scandal.”

  He pushes a pen towards me. I shake my head. It’s all happening too fast.

  “I need to think about this,” I protest weakly.

  “What’s there to think about?” Brent scowls. “Either you give me the company, or I ruin your fucking life. You want to be a national joke? Just try and show your face after everyone’s seen you on your knees, gobbling cock like a common whore.”

  Tears sting my eyes, and I fight to keep from crying. He’s right. I would never live down a scandal like this. The press has already been asking to feature me, speculating about my life. A sex tape would ruin me forever.

  As if my heart isn’t already destroyed knowing the truth about Vaughn.

  Suddenly, there’s a commotion outside. “Get the fuck out of my way!”

  There’s the sound of a scuffle, then the door flies open and Vaughn comes bursting in.

  “Keely!”

  The security guard tries to pull him back, but Vaughn shoves him away. “What’s going on?” he demands, “They said you were off with Brent. Are you OK?”

  My heart twists. I could almost believe the worry in his eyes is out of concern for me -- that he’s just worried about my safety. But then his gaze slides to Brent, and I see the panic there, like he knows a secret only Brent can tell.

  It’s true. Oh God, it’s all true.

  “You’re too late.” Brent smirks. “I told her everything.”

  15

  VAUGHN

  She knows.

  Realization slams through me, seeing her standing between them in the middle of the room.

  Fuck. Keely knows everything. The bastard told her.

  “You can’t listen to him.” I take a step towards her. Keely flinches back. “I can explain.”

  “Explain what?” Keely blinks, tears in her eyes. “Is it true? Are you this seducer guy?”

  How the hell can I get out of this one? “It’s not like that,” I try to argue, needing her to understand, but Keely shakes her head.

  “Answer me!” she cries, her voice breaking. “Did he hire you to fuck me?”

  I steel myself. She deserves the truth now.

  “Yes.”

  Keely gasps, reeling back. I can see the heartache on her face, and damn, it tears right through my chest.

  “But I broke the contract before we slept together,” I tell her, my voice rising. “I gave him his money back.”

  Brent stands back, holding his hands up to say, ‘keep me out of it.’ He’s watching like we’re a fucking spectator sport, but I only care about Keely. I take another step towards her, pleading. “Please, baby, let’s just go talk it out.”

  “I can’t believe I didn’t see it.” Keely isn’t listening. She turns away. “Of course you didn’t want to be with me, you were just doing your job. God, you must have thought I was such a fool. Why else would a guy like you want me?”

  “I wanted you!” I growl, clenching my fists. “That’s why I told him to fuck off. It wasn’t just a job to me, you’re more than that.”

  “I trusted you,” Keely tells me, tears streaming down her face. “I can’t believe I trusted you!”

  “And I told you not to,” I remind her, hating this guilt that squeezes tight around my chest. “I said you should stay the fuck away. I tried to break it off, but you came to me, remember. You’re the one who dragged me back in!”

  “So this is my fault?” Keely stares at me, eyes wide with pain. Fuck, I can’t bear that she’s hurting like this, and it’s all because of me.

  “No, that’s not it.” I stumble. Why the fuck can’t I find the right words? “I’m just saying I tried to do the right thing.”

  Keely shakes her head, trying to collect herself. “Is this about your father?” she whispers.

  What the hell?

  I freeze. Keely looks at me, her face changing to disgust. “So that’s true too. Jesus, Vaughn, is anything you’ve told me real? Or is everything about you a lie?”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I warn her, shooting a look at Brent.

  “I know that I’ve told you everything,” Keely shoots back fiercely. “I know that I believed the best in you, despite everything. But it was all just a game to you, wasn’t it? A job, a way to get what you wanted, no matter who got hurt!”

  I hang my head. She’s right. I’ve been lying to her, using her. “If you just give me a chance to explain,” I try, but her expression hardens.

  “I’m all out of chances. We’re done.” She beckons to the guard, who enters with another two guys. “Please remove Mr. Vaughn from the premises, he’s not welcome here anymore.”

  They step forwards, grabbing my arms. “Get your fucking hands off me!” I curse, struggling. “Keely!”

  She turns her back on me.

  “Fuck! Keely, you can’t trust him!” I yell, as the guards drag me out. I try to get free, but it’s three on one, and these guys are built like fucking mack trucks. Panic rises. She has to understand. “This was all a set-up! He’s trying to hurt you!”

  “Too late.” Keely looks at me sadly. “You’re the one who took care of that.”

  The look on her face is like a knife through my heart. I sag, guilty as fuck, and the guard uses the chance to slam his elbow into me. They pull me from the room, hustling me to a side exit and throwing me out on the sidewalk.

  “I’d take the hint,” one of them laughs. “The lady doesn’t want you.”

  I see red. With a roar, I lunge at him, slamming my head into his stomach. He cries out in surprise, and then his buddies are on me, kicking and punching in a rain of brutal blows.
>
  My jaw cracks. My ribs explode in pain, and I fall back. Still I keep swinging. I need to hit something. I deserve to hurt.

  “Fuck, are you trying to get yourself killed?” The guard finally pushes me away. I fall to my knees, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the asphalt. “Let it go, buddy. No one’s worth this shit.”

  They head inside. The door slams shut.

  He’s wrong. She’s worth it.

  I slump to the ground defeated. My whole body hurts like hell, but it’s nothing compared to the pain in my chest. I remember Keely’s look of betrayal when she realized the truth: that I’m a lying sack of shit who played her from the start.

  I did this to her. I let her down.

  But I can’t lose her, not now I know how much she means to me. Fuck Ashcroft and my quest for revenge. Fuck Brent and whatever mind games he’s playing. Only one thing matters in the world to me:

  Keely.

  I’m going to make it right somehow.

  16

  KEELY

  I watch them drag Vaughn away, still yelling at me to listen, give him a chance to explain. My heart aches watching him go. I’m so angry at his betrayal, but even after everything, I still want to hold him, kiss him, tell him to stay.

  Everything is falling apart, and Vaughn makes me feel strong. But he lied to me. He fooled me about everything.

  I have to do this on my own.

  “Well, now that drama’s done, let’s get back to business.” Brent clears his throat, pushing the contract towards me again. “Keely?”

  I turn back to him. God, he looks so smug and superior, like he has me backed into the corner with no way out.

  My haze of grief and confusion melts away. Vaughn was right: he planned this from the start.

  “Sure, let’s do this,” I reply. A deadly calm settles over me. I reach for the paper.

  Brent breaks into a grin as I lift the pages up. “I knew you’d see sense.”

  I stare him straight in the eye and rip the contract in pieces. “Fuck you.”

  His mouth drops open. “What the hell...?”

  “Oh, didn’t you hear me?” I ask, my blood pounding in my ears. “I said, you can go screw yourself.”

  “Do you realize what you’re doing?” Brent looks panicked. “I’ll release that tape to the world, you’ll be ruined!”

  “No, you won’t,” I say clearly. “Any scandal involving me will only hurt the company. You still have shares,” I tell Brent, “And unless you want them to be totally worthless, then you’ll keep that video to yourself.”

  “But the morality clause--” he blusters.

  “Probably covers blackmail too,” I point out. “Which is what you’re trying to do right now.” His face goes red. “Yeah, thought so,” I give him a furious smile. “So you just listen to me. I’m keeping my stake in Ashcroft Industries, and my position as CEO. And if you dare come after me again, I will make you suffer.”

  I lean in close, so he can see I’m not fucking around. He’s pushed me too far. I won’t take it anymore.

  “I’ve had enough of these games,” I tell him. “I’m done playing nice. I have limitless resources at my disposal, and a whole company that I can dedicate to making your life a living hell. So I suggest you shut up, go back to whatever rich-boy bullshit you were doing before Ashcroft died, and forget about taking me down. Because this is my company now, and I’m not giving it up for anyone.”

  I turn on my heel and walk out, leaving Brent sagging back against the desk in shock. I mean it, every word. I’m done being anyone’s fool.

  But as I hurry down the hallway back through the party, it’s a hollow triumph. The pain slams through me all over again. Tears stream down my face. I can’t hold them back anymore.

  Vaughn.

  Oh God.

  I hurry blindly into the stairwell, stumbling up higher, away from the noise of laughter and revelry. It all plays out in my head again, every moment we shared together, every passionate night and thrilling day. I opened myself up to him in ways I hadn’t imagined, and believed we had a real connection.

  It’s all a lie. All of it.

  I collapse at the top of the stairs, finally giving in to the pain wracking my body. I weep for everything I’ve just lost, the stupid trust I placed in a man I never really knew at all.

  I wanted to believe in him. I thought he was a good man underneath it all.

  How could I be so wrong?

  I don’t know how long I stay, crumpled and sobbing in the dark. My head is pounding when the tears finally fade away. I don’t know what to do now. I don’t know how I can go on, but I muster all the strength I have and get to my feet again.

  The party is still going strong. I have to go back out there, and pretend that everything’s OK. For the sake of the company.

  I’m trying to pull myself together when a noise comes from behind me. The door opening, someone stepping into the stairwell.

  Shit.

  I wipe my face, trying to hide the signs of my tears. I can’t let anyone see me like this. But I don’t even have time to turn around before I feel a hand planted hard in the middle of my back.

  The person shoves me, hard.

  I let out a scream, losing my balance. I claw for the railings, but it’s all too fast. I miss my footing and tumble down the stairs, my head slamming back against the concrete.

  Then there’s nothing but black.

  * * *

  What happens next? Find out in the explosive final installment of THE SEDUCTION! Order now from major retailers. The shocking, filthy serial comes to an explosive conclusion. Prepare for the most thrilling seduction of all…

  There’s not a woman in the world who won’t spread her legs for me.

  Admit it, you’re already wet imagining my hands gripping tight around your wrists, holding you down, showing you what a real man’s cock feels like buried all the way to the fucking hilt.

  I was the Seducer, the best damn night of your life. But I don’t care about that any more. I only want one thing.

  Keely Fawes.

  My secrets destroyed her. My quest for revenge tore us apart. But now I know she’s in danger, there’s nothing I won’t do to keep her safe.

  This girl is everything to me, and I won’t stop until I claim her completely.

  Her body.

  Her mind.

  Her heart.

  * * *

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