Chapter 19

The bloodstains from when Regina had been dragged out hadn't even been cleaned yet when Dexter's phone buzzed again. It was the third time Bonnie Doyle, his company secretary, called. Her voice came sharp through the chaos in the background, the sounds of boardroom arguments bleeding into the line. "Mr. Gardner, Mr. Burke insists that we terminate our project in Ashbourne. Mr. Tucker from finance is saying—" "Let them argue it out." Dexter calmly wiped the blood from his hands with a paper towel, dabbing each knuckle with deliberate precision. Bonnie pleaded, "If you don't get to the office soon, things will spiral." Only then did Dexter toss the paper into the leather couch, snatch up his keys, and head out. … Inside the conference room, the projector flickered on a frozen frame of charts and contracts. A dozen eyes followed him the moment he stepped in. Dexter scanned the screen full of financial reports. Then, he casually circled a loophole on the projected contract. "We'll