Reluctant thief Baz Barret is tasked with stealing from the formidable archaeologist Rei Collingwood--who happens to also be his college crush and rival--but when Rei goes missing after the burglary, Baz must find her before he's blamed for her disa...
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In Rei's limited business experience, she had never known negotiations to involve forcibly binding anyone.
What if she strangled Cheng right then and there? The daydream, imagining her fingers wrapped around his throat until he turned blue, kept Rei from crumbling. There was plenty of good reason to have a proper breakdown, but she couldn't afford that. Not right now.
"You've taken up some interesting business practices while I wasn't paying attention," Rei said.
"If I waited for your attention, I'd never get anything done," Cheng replied.
"Plenty of time to conduct illegal activity, then," Rei shot back.
No one in the car was comfortable, between Sébastien's restraints and Rei and Cheng's bickering.
"Do we have to suffer through this sibling rivalry bullshit or can we get down to business," Gwen asked. Her diligence to upkeep her makeup failed to disguise her exhaustion. Thin patience and a worn expression gave her away, a more volatile version of herself.
It all came down to money and power and ego and pride. Rei somehow hurt others by not being invested in those things they way they were. She insulted them by being a recipient. They couldn't lash out against the giver, so they took out their discontent on the receiver.
"What do you want?" Rei asked. Her eyes flicked to Sébastien. Up close, when she payed attention, it was obvious that he saw, that he listened and understood everyone said around him while appearing distracted, his eyes flicking to smaller details. The nervous tap of Gwen's fingers. Cheng's compulsive jacket straightening. Rei suspected Sébastien was that way all the time, tuned into the world around him, utterly opposite of the way Rei attempted to shut it out.
"Shares," Gwen answered, "is that not fair? Nothing changes between you and I get what's rightfully mine."
Gwen addressed Cheng as if Rei wasn't sitting right there, as if Rei wasn't the one with access to those shares. What did rightful ownership even mean? How did Gwen rationalize that she was owed those assets, that Angelo intentionally granting Rei that power somehow betrayed Gwen's birthright? It was money, not a kingdom.
"You want shares?" Rei repeated, "you understand the current business model for Sundial involves robbing people and persuade them to our side, don't you?"
Gwen could never say Rei didn't try to warn her, but Gwen pursed her lips, considering that information.
"Fine," Rei said, turned to her brother, "give Gwen the shares, then. I'll sign them over... if you delete all the blackmail you have against Sébastien."
At his name, Sébastien straightened up.
In contrast, Jasper scowled. "Cheng, we can't—"
"What else do you have to bargain with? You can't shoot me. I promise my will does not leave anything to either of you," Rei insisted.
