Empire 42

Chapter 42 

Penelope rushed into Eugene’s office, her face tear–streaked. “Gene, the card you gave me was deactivated. It isn’t working.” 

Eugene stopped what he was doing, his guard snapping up ‘Did you do something to piss off Jackie?” 

Only Jacklyn could pull a move like that. 

Penelope knew better than to admit the truth, so she avoided the real question. “Nobody even knows about our affair. You really think I’d be dumb enough to mess with Jackie? If she deactivated the card, it must’ve been for some other reason. It has nothing to do with me.” 

She grabbed Eugene’s hand, tears still streaming. “Gene, I have so much left to buy! You need to fix this!” 

Eugene wasn’t buying it. 

Jacklyn was gentle by nature. She wouldn’t just deactivate the card for no reason. 

His eyes turned cold as he pinned Penelope with a warning look. “I don’t care what really happened this time, but don’t you dare push Jackie again. You’ll regret it if she finds out about us.” 

Jacklyn was his hard boundary–one he’d never let anyone cross, not even Penelope. 

Penelope knew Eugene meant every word. She never thought he’d go so far as to threaten her, all to keep from upsetting Jacklyn. If anything, that only stoked the anger burning inside her. 

Her jaw tightened, her expression going cold and ruthless. She was going to make sure Jacklyn left Eugene for good. 

The second the bank confirmed Jacklyn had deactivated the card, Eugene’s heart raced with panic. Without thinking, he rushed straight back to Lloyd Manor. 

He found Jacklyn in the guest room, packing clothes into a suitcase. 

“Jackie, where are you going?” Eugene asked, sweat beading at his forehead. 

Jacklyn looked up, quietly entertained by how flustered he seemed. Playing dumb, she replied, “You’re the one who said we were going to Maldoria. Don’t tell me you forgot already?” 

Eugene froze. He had said that, but he’d literally just promised to take Penelope somewhere. 

Noticing his silence, Jacklyn stopped what she was doing and sat beside him. “You forgot, didn’t you? Never mind, then. We won’t go.” 

Eugene panicked at her words, knowing she was mad. 

He quickly pulled her into a hug, apologizing over and over. “I’m sorry, Jackie. It’s my bad. Work’s been a mess lately with everything at the company, but I promise, once things slow down, we’ll take that trip. Okay?” 

Jacklyn’s gaze turned mocking. 

Lloyd Group was running smoothly now. There was no way he was that swamped. More likely, he was too busy with Penelope. 

She forced a smile. “Sure.” 

Honestly? She’d be happy if he spent all his time with Penelope. At least then, she could get a lot more done. 

+20 BONUS 

Over at Robertson Group, Liam’s assistant, Minnie Vandeer stepped into his office with an update. “Mr. Robertson, Lloyd Group is making moves.” 

Liam set down the file he’d been reviewing and looked at her. “How is it going?” 

She laid it out clearly. “Per your instructions, we approached Lloyd Group’s longtime shareholders with an above- market buyout offer. They’ve all agreed and are ready for your final sign–off.” 

Liam’s brow lifted, but he didn’t seem surprised. 

Robertson Group and Lloyd Group had no formal ties, but am’s years in the industry had given him plenty of connections. 

Meanwhile, Eugene ran things recklessly. He acted on gut instinct, ignored reason, and brushed off anyone’s advice but his own. The longtime shareholders had been fed up with him for a long time. 

And now, with Lloyd Group’s recent failures piling up, their doubts had only grown. 

So they didn’t think twice when a generous buyout offer landed in their laps. It was their chance to secure their profits before things got worse. 

Liam didn’t respond. 

Unwilling to guess what he was thinking, Minnie chose her words carefully. “What’s your next step, Mr. Robertson?” 

Liam leaned back in his seat, his voice quiet but firm. “Tell them Robertson Group has one condition–total confidentiality. If this gets leaked, they’ll pay for it.” 

“Understood.” 

Later that night at Lloyd Manor, Jacklyn had just stepped out of the bath and was getting into bed when she noticed a shadow in the doorway. It was Eugene. 

Ever since what happened between them, she’d been staying in the guest room, steering clear of him. So why was he here so late instead of asleep? 

Jacklyn didn’t have time to dwell on it, so she decided to feel him out. “Gene, it’s late. Shouldn’t you be in bed?” 

Eugene moved closer and sat down beside her. The soft scent of her skin and the familiar comfort of her presence wrapped around him, instantly putting him at ease. 

Jacklyn’s breath caught as nausea coiled in her gut. 

Remembering his promise to Penelope, Eugene lightly ran his fingers through Jacklyn’s hair and spoke softly,” Jackie, starting tomorrow, I’ll be on a business trip for more than ten days. Take care of yourself, okay? If anything comes up, just call me.” 

Business trips weren’t unusual for the company. But this time felt different. He’d never been this reluctant to leave, fussing over her with endless reminders. Something was clearly off. 

More than likely, this wasn’t really a business trip at all. It was just a cover so he could be with Penelope. 

Jacklyn pushed the thought aside and forced a surprised tone. “You’ve gone on business trips, but never for this long. Why ten days all of a sudden?” 

Eugene paused. 

Penelope was making such a huge fuss, demanding that he go with her. He wouldn’t have bothered if she weren’t pregnant with his child. 

He kept his voice steady, careful not to raise suspicion. “There have been some issues with the company’s deals. A manufacturer finally agreed to negotiate, so I need to be there in person. I’ll come back as soon as the contract is signed.”