Rise Of The Disgraced Heir

"The listening devices -?" Ian began to ask, but Leon seemed to be psychic as he shook his head. 

The bodyguard seemed to know what Ian was about to ask.

"They can't transmit the recordings remotely." He told Ian. "I think Jas was planning on coming back to your apartment to collect them."

"If that's the case, she'll probably ask to spend the night again." Ian said with a frown.

"Tell her she can't tonight." Camilla suggested. "I know you aren't ready to confront her, I wouldn't be if someone did to me what she is doing to you."

"Won't she find it suspicious?" Ian asked Camilla.

"Not if you tell her you have to work. I'm sure she will insist on coming over, so just tell her that Marco will be in your apartment since that's where we all decided to meet up." Camilla explained as she thought of an excuse for Ian.

"Wow, women's minds." Leon said as he shook his head. "I would never have thought of an excuse that quickly."

"It's because you are single." Camilla teased.

"We need to update Marco on everything we found." Leon said in a much more serious tone this time around.

"I'll give him a call and ask if we should come over." Ian said.

"I doubt he will want to deal with this today." Leon said as he shook his head.

"Why would he want to delay this?" Camilla asked. "Isn't this important? I mean if Jas knows who Ian is to the Reyes Group and she warns Mike, then our plan is in danger."

Camilla was worried about Jas betraying Ian even more. She knew that if Jas could plant listening devices in Ian's apartment then she could easily tell Mike about Ian's true role in the company.

"She won't." Ian said as he lifted his head and looked at his companions. "She can't prove it. She needed my phone or the recordings to prove to Mike that we aren't just ordinary employees. Without the evidence it's useless to tell him. He wouldn't believe her."

"So we just wait?" Camilla asked as she carried a worried look on her face.

Ian nodded in response.

"Since things will speed up on monday we just need to be patient and wait it out." Ian told Camilla. 

"You should still tell Marco, just in case he has other plans." Leon suggested. "Plus I think he is having people listen in on whatever conversation Mike and Jas may be having. It's what Marco normally has his people do."

"Alright." Ian said with a nod as he took out his phone and took a deep breath.

"You alright?" Camilla asked as she sensed his hesitation.

"I just feel guilty." Ian said with a frown as he dropped his head and closed his eyes. "If I had told Marco that Jas was fake dating Mike we could have avoided all of this. Then I messed it up even more by sleeping with her last night."

"I think you did more than sleep." Leon said with a laugh.

"Leon!" Camilla scolded.

"What? They are adults, that's normal. I'm not judging him." Leon said with a shrug.

"Ian, don't worry. It's done." Camilla said. "I'm sure Marco will understand, you already made a big sacrifice for the Reyes Group, he should cut you some slack."

"Yeah, and that sacrifice almost became worthless!" Ian shouted in his frustration.

He wasn't frustrated with Marco or Camilla or Leon, he was frustrated with himself. Ever since his family lost everything he learned to put up his walls, to never trust anyone.

Anyone, but Jas and Damien. 

Ian's heart broke as he realized that all those years together became worthless in the face of wealth and prestige. 

It was clear that Jas was doing this for her family, so that she could seemingly be with someone that was important. But everything that made Mike seem like a rich, powerful, and important person in the future was all a lie.

Lies he had fabricated on the backs of the employees of the Reyes Group whose names he had smeared and careers he had ruined.

"Ian." Camilla said in a worried tone as she reached out to him, pulling him back from his thoughts.

"I'm fine." Ian said as he shook his head.

"Just give Marco a call." Leon told him. "What's done is done." He said with a nod as he urged Ian to call the older assistant.

Ian took a deep breath and called Marco.

It didn't take long for Marco to answer, it seemed that he had actually been waiting for Ian to give him a call.

"Finally." Marco said in a relieved tone. "How are you holding up?" 

Marco was clearly worried about Ian based on the tone of his voice alone, this puzzled Ian since he had made a mess.

"Shouldn't you be mad?" Ian asked Marco.

"You are only human." Marco said with a sigh. "We already know that you are loyal, we never questioned that. You loved someone and that person betrayed you, we should be worried about how you are holding up."

"Oh." Ian said, at a loss for words with concern everyone was showing him.

He wasn't as alone as he thought. 

"I don't know how to feel." Ian admitted. "I'm hurt and pissed."

"You want blood." Marco said finding the words Ian was looking for.

"Yes." Ian admitted.

"You'll get it soon." Marco told Ian. "Right now my men are following Mike and Jas. It seems that they are only trying to close a deal between Jas' family and his."

"A business deal?" Ian asked, he knew that a deal could be marriage.

"Yes, just business, no engagement or anything." Marco told Ian.

As much as he wanted to let her go, he just couldn't do it so quickly. He knew it would take time, and that was something he was willing to work with.

"Ian, on Monday we will have Mike in our grasp, have faith that the Reyes Family and the Reyes Group will never abandon you." Marco said as he tried to comfort Ian.

"I know, till Monday then. Thank you." Ian said with a nod.

"So why did you call?" Marco asked Ian.

"We just wanted to give you an update on what we found in my apartment." Ian informed him. "She planted listening devices all over my living room and bedroom."

"Were they transmitting the whole time?" Marco asked.

"No, she needs to retrieve them personally to get the files on them." Ian explained.

"Don't let her into your apartment until we have Mike and Armand in custody. Can you do that?" Marco asked.

"Yes, Camilla already gave me an excuse." Ian told Marco. 

"Good." Marco said. "Did Leon sweep the lobby too?" 

Ian relayed Marco's message, to which Leon simply nodded.

"He did." Ian confirmed.

"Very efficient." Marco said with a chuckle. "If that's all, I think you should rest till Monday, you've had a very busy morning."

"Thank you, Marco." Ian told him.

"And Ian, I know it looks bad now, but you might also want to wait before you pass judgement on Jas." Marco advised.

"As much as I would like to do that, she hurt me too much." Ian confessed.

"I understand, I'll see you on Monday then." Marco told Ian as he dropped the call, leaving Ian to think about his parting words.