Kayla watched Rina speaking to Regina from the top floor and crossed her arms across her chest, wondering what their conversation was about. It couldn’t be anything related to acting, as the submissive look in Regina’s eyes and the haughty look in Rina’s didn’t exactly depict that. Angling her head, Kayla remembered she had seen Regina with her right-hand man just the previous night before he had taken her home from Scottsdale. They’d been out in the garage, talking about something, with their eyes hiding the beginning of a budding romance. Perhaps, that wasn’t all it was. She should have paid more attention, maybe even listened in on their conversation before interrupting them in that manner.
Her right-hand man would never divulge any information about Kayla. Or at least, that was what she thought. But just to be safe, Kayla made the decision right there to play her last card. She had been holding on to it for as long as she could remember, but maybe it was time to let go. Smiling creepily to herself, she turned around on her heels and walked straight to her office, whipping out her phone.
Kayla dialed the number she’d had saved for weeks now, leaning into her seat as she heard the shuffle in the background, with a masculine voice coming on. “Hi. Marco on the line.”
“Hi, Marco. I am Kayla Reese.”
“Kayla Reese?”
“Yes.”
“This is some scam, right? Kayla Reese has no reason to call me.”
“I bet you that she does, and it is me speaking.”
“No…”
“It has to do with the current estate in your name,” Kayla said in one breath to keep him from hanging up the call. “You know what I am talking about, don’t you?”
“I don’t.” His voice was clipped and controlled. “And I am going to end the call right now.”
“You don’t want to do that, Marco,” she murmured. “I have nothing to lose by going to the cops now to inform them that you killed Mr. and Mrs. Jones, took their child up for adoption and took their estate to yourself. You want to know how much my word weighs with the authorities? Try me.”
The man swallowed at the other end of the line. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
Kayla leaned forward on her mahogany desk and rested a hand on it. “I know you do, Marco. But I have to admit. That was pretty bold of you and not to mention, evil.”
“Do you have proof?”
“I am Kayla Reese, remember? I have all the power at my disposal. Finding proof was the easiest thing. You didn’t do as much a clean job as you think you did. But then again, no one was looking. I bet that was why they didn’t find out.”
“What do you want?”
“I prefer a face-to-face conversation, but there are a lot of people who can see me with you and start all the insinuations, so I am just going to leave it here. I want you to do something for me. The real owner of the estate in your possession is being a pain in my ass. Rina Power. I know you kept tabs on her, so you know her identity.”
“How is your problem with her any of my business? Deal with her and leave me out of it. Besides, she turned out pretty well for herself, so I don’t have to feel guilty for taking the estate and killing her parents.”
Kayla chuckled. “You don’t seem to understand what is going on, Marco. You killed one of the richest persons in this country with their immeasurable wealth. Yet, you think you have nothing to do with this?”
“Kayla Reese…”
“If you hadn’t gone ahead to do that, Rina would have been comfortable on her father’s wealth. She might have not gone ahead to chase fame and riches here in the entertainment industry since she would have already had everything going in her favor. But you just had to thwart that and now, she’s taking every single thing I want for myself, everything I worked hard for.”
“This is so hard to reconcile with the Kayla Reese I see on my screen,” Marco said. “That lady is sweet and thoughtful and just knows all the right words to say. But you…damn. You are mean.”
“Say a word of this to anyone, and you will find out just how mean I can get it.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“That is the question I have been waiting for, Marco.” Kayla leaned back into the high-backed chair and wheeled it in a slow circle. “I need you to contact Rina Power.”
“What?”
“Don’t be stupid. Call her.”
“Her parents’ murderer should call her? She is engaged to the most powerful man in the country.”
“And you killed one of the richest families in existence from old aristocratic money and even cut off their line by selling off their daughter. I think that balances out, don’t you?”
“Bitch,” he cursed under his voice. “What do I tell her?”
“Everything.”
“You have to be kidding me!”
“Of course, not about you killing her parents. Tell her about their existence and the fact that they were murdered. Show her pictures because she is a great fan of hard proof. Bring along her birth certificate when you meet. Do anything to convince her.”
“And how would I know about all of that?”
“You are her father’s lawyer, and the will reading had been kept for that long because there was a clause in the will that stated that she had to be present during the reading and that no one knew her whereabouts since the night of the murder. She looks like her mother a lot. Bring a picture of that, too,”
“Then what next?”
“Tell her to accompany you to her father’s house for the reading. I will intercept you on the way and take it from there.”
“Can I ask what you are going to do to her?” Marco asked.
“That is none of your business, Marco. And do not do anything until I give you the go-ahead.”
“I will call you back to confirm.”
“I am not that stupid, Marco. This is a burner phone. I will call you when I need you.”