She Started It!

"Your precious mistress was injured,' she spat, venom dripping from her words. "To seek payback, you sicced your lawyer on us and locked us up. No food, no water, no medical help for Giana. Was that not enough? What more do you want from us?" Austyn

scowled.

"Are y you here to gloat? To survey the result of your handiwork? Are you happy now? Or are you here to issue another stern warning to stay away from your darling mistress?'

"Are you done?' he asked.

"No!"

"You're done. My turn to talk-who told you that I got you locked up in the police station?"

'Does it matter?' Kira was getting worked up. 'That arrogant, sanctimonious officer made it clear that we'd offended you, the oh-so-powerful president of the M Group. Told us in no uncertain terms that you wanted us to pay. For assaulting "your woman!" She was shouting now.

Glana couldn't hear her.

She could let it all out.

Austyn took a deep breath. "What if I tell you, I didn't know it was you?'

"Pfft. She crossed her arms and turned away, refusing to look at him.

He lightly pinched her chin to turn her face back.

He stared straight into her eyes. "I did not know you were the one involved in the conflict with Kayleigh."

*Do you think I just fell off the turnip truck? And what conflict? That bitch ordered her bodyguard to beat up Giana and-"

'Kira! Language!"

Austyn was shocked.

She'd never used swear words in front of him.

Kira rolled her eyes.

"What? You can't stand hearing your precious mistress getting cussed at? I can call her whatever I want. Bitch bitch bitc-

He covered her mouth with his big palm.

"Mmm! Mmm!' Kira's protest was muffled.

She tried to nip his hand but couldn't open her mouth.

repeat, I did not know you were the one involved in the conflict with Kayleigh.'

He removed his hand. 'If you don't believe me, ask Kai

Kira sucked in a lungful of air.

'Kai works for you,' she shot back. 'He'll say whatever you tell him to say." 2/3

Austyn took another deep breath. What can I do to make you believe me?" He'd never had to explain himself to anyone like this before, let alone twice.

If his words or actions were misconstrued, so be it.

It was no skin off his nose.

But Kira, his wife, was shooting daggers at him like he was her mortal enemy.

All that bravado, loud voice, and deliberate insult could not hide the pain in her eyes.Text content © .

She was hurting.

And hating him.

He had a feeling that if he didn't clarify, she would hold on to that hatred for life.

Austyn was flustered.

'I won't deny things I've done. Nor will I admit to something I didn't do.' He tried to keep his voice as even as possible. 'Don't you think it's unfair to pin the blame on me after you've only heard one side of the story? Who was that officer who told you this? Did he offer any proof?"

Kira fell silent.

'I guess he did not,' Austyn continued. 'Then it's just his word against mine. Between him and me, why would you trust a complete stranger instead of your own husband?"

He put both hands on her shoulders. "When you and your friend were arrested, I was still in Farindon. I knew nothing about this. I swear."

Damn, the man was one smooth-talking businessman.

She

didn't want to believe him, but her determination was starting to waver.

That police officer was openly hostile, after all.

He was irritated by Kira's yelling and banging on the bars.

Could he have concocted a lie just to scare her into behaving?

Kira lowered her head, trying to jumpstart her brain.

It had been a whirlwind twenty-four hours.

The car ride, the cheque, the confrontation, Giana, the fight, the arrest, the night in the holding cell, the mad dash to the hospital.

Her brain was overloaded.

A good journalist must separate fact from fiction.

Fact: Austyn loved Kayleigh.

He declared it to Kira, loud and clear, before he stomped off from the hospital carpark.

Fact: she'd hurled a brick at Kayleigh.

That must have left quite a gaping wound.

From the above facts, it was a reasonable conjecture that Austyn must have blown his top when he knew

his mistress was injured.

Understandably, he was out for blood.

Ergo, he used his influence to put the perpetrators behind bars.

Kira didn't so much belleve the officer's words as trust her own reasoning.

Austyn stood up for Kayleigh, just like she would stand up for Glana.

But now...

The man was telling her, with a sombre face and an earnest voice, that he didn't know anything about it.

Had she made a mistake in her deduction?

Could she allow herself to believe him?

'If I gave the order to arrest you, do you think Luca could have gotten you out?' Sensing her hesitance, Austyn offered another piece of supporting evidence. I'm acquainted with Andrew Douglas, chief of police. If I wanted someone put behind bars, I could've gone straight to him. There's no way Luca, a captain, can override the chief's order.

A shadow flitted across his face.

His voice turned grave. 'I don't think you understand the reach of the McCarthys' power. If I wanted to punish someone, I wouldn't send a small-time officer to do the dirty work.'

Kira stared at him, astonished.

The implied meaning of his words made her shudder.

For the first time, the president revealed his dark side.

Kira remembered, with a start, that he hadn't always been a businessman.

Before founding the M Group, he was a soldier, trained to kill.

'Even if I didn't love you,' Austyn's eyes bored into hers, 'even if you beat Kayleigh to an inch of her life, Even if it were all your fault, I would never-I repeat, never-ask anyone to lock you up. Do you!

Kira nodded reflexively, then she shook her head vehemently.

'Wait! What do you mean, "it's all my fault?" It's NOT my fault! It's Kayleigh's fault! She started it!"