My Enemy's Daughter (Edited)

chapter 49

Samuel's POV

I jolted awake, my chest heaving, drenched in sweat. The nightmare had been relentless, as it always was—my mind trapped in a loop of my wife’s final moments. But this time, the face in the passenger seat wasn’t Maggie’s. Instead, it was Fiona’s, her eyes wide with fear as the truck bore down on us.

The terror that gripped me was unlike anything I’d felt before. It wasn’t just the horror of the crash but the horrifying realization that my mind was starting to replace Maggie’s face with Fiona’s. The thought made me rage against myself. How could I forget Maggie? How could her memory be tainted by the presence of this woman who had entered my life so unwittingly?

My fists clenched around the bed sheets, my breath coming in ragged gasps. I dragged myself out of bed, trying to rid myself of the lingering terror. I needed to ground myself in reality, so I went to the drawer where I kept Maggie’s photos. I picked up the one of us at the beach, her hand resting on her swollen belly, her smile radiant and full of life. Her laughter had been a sweet melody when I rubbed her pregnant belly, a sound I’d never forget.

As I stared at the photo, the image of that fatal accident flashed through my mind again. My frustration with Jake Bruckner resurfaced, a bitter reminder of the man who had caused it all, a man who would pay for his crimes in due time.

I needed to get out of this house, away from these memories. I drove to the estate where Lyle and other men were based. I needed to check on Fiona’s mother. The security of my operations depended on her being kept hidden, and I couldn’t let anything go awry.

When I arrived, Lyle greeted me with his usual reserved demeanor. “How’s Fiona’s mother?” I asked, trying to keep my tone steady.

“On it,” Lyle replied. “It’s not easy, but we’ve got a discreet psychiatrist from another country lined up. She’ll be here by the end of the week. For now, we’ve hired private female caretakers to look after her.”

I nodded, satisfied with the progress. “And the Kincaid shipping line?”

Lyle’s face hardened slightly. “We’ve stopped or delayed most shipments. We’re filling the place with our men, so when you give the final word, we’ll be ready to bring everything down.”

I smiled, pleased with his efficiency. “Good. I also need you to find out where Jake Bruckner has moved his drug warehouses. We’re going to burn them all to the ground.”

Lyle acknowledged with a nod. “Understood. We’ll get on it.”

I also wanted to discuss our leverage. “I’ve managed to get eight out of ten major shareholders and business partners of Jake Bruckner to side with me. They’re on board with merging Bruckner’s empire into mine once the time is right.”

Lyle’s eyes widened slightly. “That’s impressive. When do you plan to move?”

“In a month,” I said decisively. “Get everything ready. Make sure we have everything we need. This has to be flawless.”

With that settled, I headed to the office. Dina, my secretary, greeted me with surprise. “Mr. Fox, why are you at work so soon after your wedding?”

I gave her a smooth smile. “Business is just as important as personal matters, Dina.”

She nodded, accepting my explanation, and I dove into work. It wasn’t long before my phone rang. Clara’s name flashed on the screen. I hesitated before answering, bracing myself for the confrontation.

“Samuel,” she said, her voice laced with hurt. “You broke my heart yesterday. I can’t believe you married Fiona.”

I wasn’t in the mood for games. “I’m also very aware of your little escapade with Jake Bruckner yesterday. Don’t think I haven’t heard about it.”

Clara’s voice faltered, but she quickly recovered. “That was out of jealousy. You still care about me, don’t you? That’s why you keep tabs on me.”

I snorted, unmoved by her attempts at manipulation. “I’m not interested in any of that. You know perfectly well that I never promised you anything beyond a business relationship.”

She tried again, accusing me of leading her on with our public appearances. “That was just for show, Clara. You know as well as I do that it was all about publicity.”

Her protests continued, but I cut her off. “Enough. We had an arrangement, and nothing more. I’m done with this conversation.”

I ended the call, feeling a sense of relief at shutting down her manipulative games. I was about to return to work when another call came through—Mrs. Kincaid. Her voice carried an urgent tone, though she tried to mask it with politeness.

“Samuel, I need to speak with you urgently.”

I knew she was trying to play her hand, so I told her to come to my office. She agreed but showed up earlier than expected. Dina tried to delay her, but Mrs. Kincaid was insistent.

When she finally walked into my office, she wore her usual composed mask, but I could see the cracks beneath it. She tried to smooth talk me into investing more in her shipping business, but I wasn’t buying her act.

“What’s really going on?” I demanded, cutting to the chase.

Her facade crumbled, revealing the truth. “Most of the shipments have been damaged, lost at sea, or delayed. It’s causing investors to pull out, and we’re losing more than we’re gaining.”

Amusement flickered in my eyes. She had come to me for a solution to a problem she didn’t realize I was partly responsible for. “And you want me to invest more to restore confidence?”

“Yes,” she said, desperation creeping into her voice. “It will help convince people to come back.”

I leaned back in my chair, enjoying the irony of the situation. “I’ll think about it. Give me a few days.”

She protested, “I don’t have a few days!”

“Then you’ll have to wait,” I said firmly. She left, clearly frustrated.

As the workday wound down, Dina appeared, her expression determined. “Come on, Samuel. You need to go home to your wife.”

I was caught off guard. “I have more work to do.”

Dina, defiant as usual, wasn’t having it. “No excuses. You’ve been at work all day. Let’s go.”

Realizing there was no way around it without looking like a heartless bastard, I allowed her to drag me out of the office. On the way, I decided to go to the mansion. I expected Fiona to still be broken, overwhelmed by everything I’d thrown at her.

As I approached the mansion, the echoing sounds I heard were nothing like what I had anticipated. I followed the noises, which led me to the game room. The sight that greeted me made my blood boil.

There was Fiona, laughing heartily, her face lit up with genuine joy. She was wearing nothing but a shirt that barely covered her thighs. Next to her was Bruno, a wide grin on his face as he engaged with her.

My voice roared through the room, “What the hell is going on here?”

The laughter stopped abruptly, and both of them looked at me, shock and embarrassment painted on their faces. Fiona’s joy was replaced by fear, and Bruno shifted uncomfortably.

The anger bubbling inside me was intense, and I fought to keep it in check. Fiona had no right to enjoy herself while I was still dealing with the mess her father had brought into my life.

The confrontation was just beginning, and I was determined to get answers. This was far from over.