CHAPTER 20

Axel sat in the plane, staring at an empty spot on the wall. His mind was surprisingly blank, and he did not for once during the entire ride think about work, or anything else for that matter. It disturbed him, this inability to be productive. His pile of work was mounting, and he knew Donald was having a hard time taking care of everything he usually did himself.

The file. He glanced across the aisle at Lisa who sat facing his direction. She held a manilla envelope close to her heart and kept grinning like a Cheshire cat. Axel's heart did not ache for her. Granted, she had given too much for what she thought was a means to ruin Claire. Axel wished he would be in the room when she opened the envelope.

He wished the most that he would be there the day she found out it was fake, all of it. He would savor her anguish with relish. How dare he go against everything her parents had worked hard for? They had tried everything to make her useful, but all that sincere effort had turned her into