Lose Control (The Jewel Project #5)

20.2|| Secrets and Lies

It had taken some time and a lot of reading on the laws of the state, but Jessie finally figured it out. Her marriage was null because she was a minor at the time and the judge hadn't met with her parents and then her separately, like the laws of California required.

They'd all had a comfy cozy gathering, Esteban included, so no one had the chance to check if she was really okay with getting married. Which was a blessing, really, because at that moment, she would have agreed and forfeited her life. Ironic as it was, she could now lie her way out.

So she gave up on the divorce and filed for annulment instead. What followed was a lawyer-free hearing in front of a judge where Jessie put her own acting skills to work. Esteban was left speechless as she cried and acted so much dumber than she actually was. Shocked, he'd failed to play his part. He was twelve years older, of course he'd fooled her.

"You bitch," he mumbled the moment they left the judge's office, finally free of each other.

"This is just the beginning, you thieving asshole," she said between her teeth.

Because she'd barely started. Yes, an annulment automatically got rid of the settlement issue since it was now considered they were never married, so her inheritance was her own.

Except, it wasn't. Her uncle had hidden her parents' will up until she'd found and stolen it. Using the adoption papers, it was embarrassingly easy to solve that problem, too. It was only a matter of time until she could finish her revenge. There was one final piece that had to fall into place.

Esteban.

But Jessie was an agent now, and she'd been living with a genius for years, so hacking was nothing challenging, especially when it came to some records which were only protected by a dumb firewall. Verifying Esteban's company records and finding flaws only took up an afternoon.

Next, she broke into the records of the company which should have belonged to her and did a quick check. Yes, there were a few irregularities, but her uncle had fortunately kept the whole thing pretty clean. He wouldn't risk his only source of income. Company records showed that he was an employee there when her father was in charge.

After gathering all the data she needed, she just had to think how to use it to end this once and for all. Esteban was fairly easy, but getting the company back... Not so much. Maybe she could just reveal the will and sue them, but she wanted it to be more spectacular for some reason.

The thoughts swirled inside her head as she had formal dinner with her supposed parents and husband. She hadn't told her benevolent relatives about the annulment, and apparently neither had Esteban. He kept glaring at her across the table, but she could no longer be bothered with this. Ever since she'd found the documents that proved she'd been living a lie, time had picked up the pace and she was more than ready to leave everything behind.

"Why are you always so unpleasant?" her aunt asked from next to her, bringing a forkful of peas to her mouth.

Jessie gave her a sideways glance. They looked nothing alike, never had. Maria was a brunette with plump lips and pockmarked skin she hid under an impressive layer of foundation. Her eyes were almond-shaped and brown. How could Jessie had believed this woman was her mother when her supposed aunt Rachel had been light and curly-haired like her? She had studied the pictures she had of her parents carefully after learning the truth. She was a spitting image of her mother except for the hair color which was like a combination of her father's red hair and her mother's blonde locks.

But it was so obvious. And yet... After an entire week of scheming and focusing on other things, she suddenly felt like crying again. For her lost childhood, for the new and exciting life she'd left behind. For the friends that felt like brothers and sisters, for the man she loved with all her heart.