Liesl caught her reflection in the glass panels of the hotel lobby where the gala was being held and felt a sense of pride at how good she looked. Meredith had popped over to do her hair and makeup and Janka and Elsie had bolstered her confidence while she got dressed up.
She stood nervously looking around waiting for Isaias. Mallory was a few feet away talking to several other men from the security detail as having a billionaire like Isaias attending the gala was apparently a huge deal.
“Oh my god, what are you doing here?”
Sandy’s nasally voice crawled up her spine like a scorpion on hot sand.
Liesl slowly turned to look at her sister and knew her eyes were popping at the image in front of her. Merlin must be apoplectic with the outfit her sister was barely dressed in. The lower half of the floor length ballgown was lace and sheer and tattered in long strips. The top half hugged her baby bump so tightly, Liesl wondered if it was potentially cutting off oxygen to the poor child. The black material snuggly fitted her form in all the places it covered her skin but there was a lot of skin left uncovered including a very deep cleavage and a bare back.
She met her sister’s gaze and shook her head to come out of her stunned perusal. “What?” She was awestruck by the outfit. It was so risqué it was almost vulgar. She had no problem with any woman showing skin, but she knew this was probably making the entire McGrath clan seethe with uncomfortable fury. It gave her perverse pleasure.
“Why are you here? Are you crashing the party? Isaias is out of town, right? Did you think you would come and steal my husband?”
She saw Mallory’s eyes narrow as he caught sight of the woman and immediately head towards her, but she held up her hand to get him to stand down. “Isaias is back in town. He’s meeting me here.”
“He never comes to these things.”
“He does tonight. One of his realtors is winning an award and he’s here to present it to her.”
“Then where is he?” Sandy snarked with a toss of her head.
“Sandy, you need to leave me alone.” She said sadly, “I’ve planned with my lawyer to initiate a no-contact order for you and your family. Please leave me be.”
She started to turn her back to her, but Sandy reached out and grabbed her hand.
“You can’t ban me from talking to my own sister.”
“I can and I will.” Liesl said seriously. “All you ever want to do is hurt me or cause me humiliation and I’m done with your games. I’ve moved on with my life. I suggest you do the same.”
“Oh, you’ve moved on?” She asked condescendingly, “that’s why you’re here alone dressed like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman in the red dress.”
“Liesl?” Torrie’s voice cut into the conversation, “oh my goodness, darling it is you. What are you doing here?” She stepped in between the two women and clutched her hands tightly and bussed her cheeks. “You look incredible. What a gorgeous color on you!”
“Thank you, Torrie. I’m waiting for my date. He’s running behind.”
“Isaias? He’s coming?” Torrie asked. “He’s got nerve.”
“Why is that?”
“He’s attempting a hostile takeover of our company. He’s bought up more than half the stock. He’s trying to force Trent out as CEO. One of our board members told Trent today he was approached by Isaias for his stock options.”
She shrugged carelessly, “isn’t it just business? Why would it mean he has nerve, or he shouldn’t show his face? Business is business and when you’re a powerful man wanting to expand your business, you do it however you see fit.” She saw Merlin and Trent approaching from the corner of her eye and knew they heard her.
Merlin frowned at her, “what are you doing here, Liesl?”
“I’m waiting on my date and he’s late.” She shot a look to Mallory who looked to watch and shook his head. He was still delayed. She was stuck with the sharks, and he was nowhere to be found.
“He’s out of the country.” Merlin said quietly. “You shouldn’t be here alone.”
“He’s back in the country.” She could tell he was shocked by the news. “While he was away, did you happen to break into my apartment again?”
He frowned at her, shooting a nervous glance at Sandy and spoke softly, “don’t be like this, Liesl. Bitterness doesn’t suit you.”
“Break into her apartment,” Sandy questioned. She put her hands on her belly and looked to Merlin. “Why would you break into her apartment?”
“To look for something.” He gave Liesl a stern glance as he fished mentally for an idea and then cocked his head to one side. “Her laptop. Her laptop had sensitive information on it.”
Liesl frowned at him for his boldfaced lie.
An idea appeared in Merlin’s head, and he studied her seriously, “Machado has been getting to our board members. What do you know of it Liesl?”
“Nothing,” she shrugged.
“Your laptop had some of my work files on it. Did you let Machado into it?”
“I don’t have the laptop anymore. If you’re breaking into my place to find my old laptop, you’re barking up the wrong tree. Next time though, call ahead and keep your clothes on. Fred was not happy to come to my door in the middle of the night to help me rid my new place of naked rats and snakes.”
“Naked?” Sandy shrieked.
“Where is the laptop?” Merlin ignored her sister.
“I was robbed.”
“Bullshit.”
“I filed a police report. The day of your wedding,” she waved between Sandy and Merlin, “I went to the realty office to sell my house,” she smirked at Sandy, “and while Fred and I were there, someone robbed the house. The people across the street were robbed as well. They took my laptop, a bunch of jewellery, a couple of paintings off the wall and weirdly,” she frowned, “a wedding album. The jewellery and laptop were recovered at a pawn shop because it was likely easy to fence, according to the lovely detective who came and took mine and Fred’s statements.” She paused, “considering how much you all stalk me, with the wedding album gone, I thought maybe one of you did it, but the cops couldn’t find a link.”
Merlin ignored her comment. “Where is the laptop now?”
“Police custody. Their forensics team were trying to see if they could get fingerprints since the pawn shop didn’t have any cameras which worked. I told them I didn’t need it back as insurance wouldn’t even cover it. I did get back my high school ring, a pearl necklace, and my diamond earrings.”
Merlin looked to his father, “he’s been using her for information. I bet it’s why he bought the house.”
Liesl tried not to snicker at the pair of men. “Yeah, if you’re talking about Isaias, he didn’t step foot into the house until after the closing and it was after the robbery. If you’re thinking he has been sleeping with me to get me to spill your company secrets or get my computer, we started dating the week after my house got broken into. Besides you both know how I have never once paid attention to the boredom and drudgery of your conversations. He’s also too busy giving me multiple orgasms to question me on the goings-on of your boring lives.”
“There is no need to be crass, young lady.” Trent scolded her.
“Fuck you Trent,” Liesl said with a smirk and watched as his eyes rounded and grinned boldly at Torrie’s gasp. “Your little family,” she waved around the four of them, “have done nothing but cause me headaches and I can honestly say, if I had information and Isaias asked me, I’d tell him.”
“You would betray us like this?” Trent was stunned.
“Oh, Torrie told me all about how you all knew Sandy and Merlin were screwing for months so don’t talk to me about betrayal. If the man I love and am in a relationship with asked me to tell him what I know, I’d spill my guts. Luckily for you, I don’t know anything. However, and most importantly, we have far too much fun living our lives and being with each other to spend even a moment of it discussing yours.”
Merlin reached for her and gripped her hand angrily, shaking her, “love? Do you actually think he could ever love you?”
The cold condescension of his smugly spat words seared Liesl as she stood furiously unsure of how to respond.
