Chapter 27
Maddie’s teeth chattered. The more she considered her husband’s revelations about Selina’s connections, the less sense it made. Trevon Bradley—the incredibly young head of the Bradley family and CEO of Insight Group. Seeing Trevon Bradley in person, Maddie couldn’t comprehend the Bradley family even acknowledging Selina, a nobody from Nowheresville. She couldn’t help but wonder if Trevon was a fraud.
Theron approached Selina and casually placed a hand on her shoulder. His voice was low and sharp, “Honey, did she give you a hard time?”
“Hard time? As if anyone could mess with me,” Selina joked, linking arms with Trevon. “They don’t know what I can do. I could have sent her packing with one punch. Time to go, hubby.”
“You got it,” Trevon said, shooting Maddie a cold look. “Mrs. Thompson, I’m sorry about your son. But do me a favor—tell Mr. Thompson that Insight Group may reconsider our amusement park partnership with Thompson Group.”
“What!” Maddie stammered, bewildered. “Mr. Brady, you’ve always been level-headed, prioritizing business. How can you back out like this? Partnering with Thompson Group has been a major goal for Insight Group.”
“You’re a bit confused, Mrs. Thompson,” Trevon said, a half-smile twisting his lips. “Insight Group isn’t begging—Thompson Group has been pursuing us from the start. We call the shots. If it’s profitable, we’re in. And let me tell you, people are lining up to work with us. We’re not worried about losing Thompson Group.”
Maddie was stunned. She’d heard from her husband about the amusement park deal—billions at stake, with the potential for far greater returns. Even splitting the profits with Insight Group meant a massive payday for any large company. But now, because she’d targeted Selina, that lucrative deal might vanish. She couldn’t bear to think of her husband’s reaction. The Thompson Group had staked everything on this, and the contract with Insight Group was nearly finalized. This sudden reversal meant scrambling for new partners—wasting time and money—and the odds of finding a deal as large as Insight Group were slim.
“Mr. Brady, there’s been a misunderstanding, I swear. I was just frantic about my son. Please, don’t hold this against us…”
Maddie’s tone shifted dramatically, from commanding to practically pleading, and Selina couldn’t help but snicker at the change.
Mortified by Selina’s snarky laugh, Maddie knew she had to grovel to salvage the deal. “Selina, I’m sorry. I completely lost it earlier. Just imagine—if your child were hurt, you’d be freaking out too, right? Please, let this go.”
Selina feigned surprise, then turned to Trevon. “Sweetie, is she trying to make me feel bad? I mean, if I say I can’t forgive her, and people hear about it, won’t they say we’re cruel?”
“Everyone knows my heart is as warm as an ice cube, and you, babe? You’re no wilting flower. What should we be scared of?” Trevon replied lightly.
“Gotcha,” Selina smiled.
With those words, Trevon and Selina left Maddie gaping, unable to intervene. Realizing the mess she’d created, Maddie gritted her teeth so hard she almost cracked them. Panicked, she turned to the officers, her voice cracking. “I don’t believe it! I need to see the proof myself! That hitch caused Caleb’s accident! Dig up the evidence! Or I swear, I’ll make you pay!”
Everyone else rolled their eyes. They were thoroughly over the bossy, entitled woman. She’d messed up, picked a fight, jeopardized a major deal, and now she was trying to blame them. It was infuriating.
In the car ride home, Trevon lounged, casually straightening his crisp black pants, with Selina beside him. With a glance and those devilishly charming lips, he said, “Caught a peek at the security footage earlier. Did you do a little editing?”
Selina was startled. She’d edited the footage so skillfully that few would notice, but she hadn’t anticipated Trevon, who’d only watched the video once, spotting the alteration. This guy was exceptionally sharp.
When confronted, Selina didn’t bother denying it. “I accessed the security cameras and altered the video. Made it look like I was speeding, but I didn’t cause the crash. Caleb floored it and wrecked. Just bad luck for him.”
Selina had been careful during the high-speed chase with Caleb, maintaining a safe distance—small enough to be inconspicuous at a glance, but large enough to prove her lack of responsibility. She’d had a backup plan from the moment Caleb tried to show her up.
“That was pretty smooth,” Trevon said, impressed. “Breaking into a camera system? That takes real skills and nerve. But spilling the beans like that? I thought you’d play dumb.”
“Look, Trevon,” Selina shot back, “you’re not just anyone. Instead of getting caught by you and looking foolish, I figured I’d just confess.” She might not know Trevon inside and out, but aside from being a sucker for family—which blinded her to her own family’s shady side—her gut feeling about people was usually accurate. And Trevon, the youngest head of the Bradley family and the most enigmatic bigwig in Sokols, definitely had some tricks up his sleeve.
Selina was certain Trevon had been investigating her past. She was Charm, a top-tier hacker, and covering her tracks was effortless. Even with her considerable skills, she was still slightly apprehensive about Trevon’s investigation. Of course, Charm wasn’t known as the Dark Web’s number one hacker for nothing. But with the video manipulation, she suspected Trevon, a shrewd individual, would notice. Rather than deceive someone with the upper hand, she chose to be smart and reveal her cards.
Trevon’s lips twitched, his eyes inscrutable. “If you trust me enough to come clean, Selina, then, as your so-called husband, let me share a little secret of mine.”