Bait for a Gentleman novel Chapter 114

By the end of her rant, Tamara's jaw was practically locked tight.

When Monroe Industries was on the verge of bankruptcy, it was the Suttons who bailed them out. Over the years, Zachary had held the Monroe shares, which, in Tamara's eyes, meant they belonged to him. Making her spit them out now felt no different than carving a piece of her own flesh.

"What else was I supposed to do?" Zachary stared at the ceiling. "She spent the last three years playing the obedient, sweet little thing around us, and we actually thought she was a pushover. And the result? Since the day she came back to the country, she hasn't backed down a single inch."

Tamara opened her mouth to argue, then swallowed her words.

It was true; she hadn't seen it coming either. A fallen heiress with no family backing, no connections, and no leverage, relying entirely on the Suttons' charity—and yet, she actually had the nerve to go head-to-head with her.

Sitting up straighter, Zachary offered some reassurance. "Mom, listen to me. Waldo is recuperating in Portsmith, and the invitations for his birthday banquet next month have already gone out. Right now, the priority is keeping him happy. Once Audrina hands over every last backup of those photos, I'll have nothing left to fear from her."

He narrowed his eyes. "As for the Monroe shares..."

Tamara looked up at him.

"Once I deal with the leverage she holds over me, I'll find a way to coax her back. When that happens, the Monroe assets will be right back in my hands, won't they?"

Tamara stared at him for a few seconds before another thought deepened the crease between her brows. "What about Vera? She's going to start showing in a few months. I told you years ago not to mess around with some girl from the wrong side of the tracks, but you wouldn't listen! Now that she's pregnant, what exactly is your plan?"

At the mention of Vera, Zachary's expression darkened.

The pregnancy had been a constant thorn in his side, so much so that he had barely spoken to her lately.

Zachary wasn't stupid.

He knew exactly how Vera had managed to get pregnant.

What's more, he had been this close to forcing the truth out of Audrina about her relationship with Sebastian.

He never anticipated that Vera would take it upon herself to try and serve Audrina up to Ken Larson on a silver platter.

That was what gave Audrina the perfect excuse to break the engagement.

And with the timing being what it was, he had no choice but to agree.

His voice turned ice-cold. "Once Vera has the baby, we'll bring it back to the estate and let Audrina raise it. I'll pay Vera off with enough money to keep her comfortable for the rest of her life."

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