Chapter 87

[Edward's POV]

‘If you want a job done right, then you’re better off doing it yourself,’ Edward thought angrily to himself.

Edward Derek was not having the best of luck when it came to getting his plans to follow through. The man felt like he’d been living in nothing but failure and the shadow of other people’s unjustly success for years.

And he was sick and fed up with it beyond reasonable comprehension. Deep down, Edward truly believed that he was owed the position of Crescent Moon’s CEO. He had big plans for the company and really believed himself to be a true visionary.

But no one ever managed to see things his way—no one ever seemed to understand his ideas, nor want to take part in them. Not even Edward’s brother cared much about what he thought.

It always left the man irked and seething with resentment.

Growing up, Edward had grown used to living in his brother’s shadow. Having the perfect grades through school, finding his fated mate, and then having the perfect family. And to top it all off, their own father ended up handing his brother the CEO position.

Edward was convinced that the time would come. When it came time for his brother to step down as current leader, he honestly thought that it was his time to step in. Little did he know that his brother’s plan was to pass the position to his own son, leaving Edward with nothing but shattered expectations and a need for revenge.

It sadly came as no real surprise that the woman he’d hired to impersonate James’ ex-wife, Evelyn, had failed her mission to destroy James’ marriage with Mia. All that wasted time and money caused his anger to reach new heights.

He’d been careful, and meticulous in his planning. Edward made it a point to pay extra close attention to the couple during the Alpha Gathering. He could tell how much Mia meant to James. The man felt like he’d struck gold. James Derek had another Achilles Heel just like Evelyn.

He knew right then and there that if he was going to bring James down, he figured the best way to do it would be for him to do it through Mia.

But because all of his plans to ruin the Derek name were falling through, left and right, Edward felt like he was grasping at straws.

It seemed like no matter what he tried, the couple always found a way to bounce back. What he needed was something big. Something majorly impactful that was going to leave a hefty scar, if not a horrible gash in the link they’d created between each other.

Edward sat there in his darkened living room with his legs folded in heavy contemplation. Sure, there were many ideas that came to mind...

‘But which one is the right one to pick?’ he asked himself.

The first idea that came to mind involved simply snatching Mia up the same way he’d done so to Evelyn all those years ago. It wouldn’t have taken much effort considering how well he got away with it the first time. But no.

Edward had caught wind of what David Durant recently pulled off the same exact stunt. Any chance of getting close to Mia now was going to be all but impossible.

“Goddamnit,’ he grumbled under his breath.

And knowing James, there was a very likely chance that he was going to place some sort of protective detail on Mia wherever she went. But that didn’t mean that Edward couldn’t find other ways to hurt her.

“If she feels pain, then that means that James will too,” he concluded.

Amongst his scheming, Edward was partly surprised that he hadn’t felt even an ounce of hesitation when thinking about going after Mia. She looked so much like her mother at the Alpha Gathering, that Edward could have sworn he was starting at an apparition.

Believe it or not, that was the one death that had actually affected Edward. Poisoning Mia’s mother was not something that he’d initially intended. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Edward had adored Mia’s mother to the point where he had professed his feelings, only to be rejected time and time again. She was already married and pregnant with her second child at the time. But none of that ever mattered to him.

The day he decided to go after Mia’s father and take him down, Edward was prepared to swoop in and take his wife for himself. But things took a dark turn very quickly. As usual, his plan was unraveling at the seams. He knew he was going to get caught for trying to overthrow James and the rest of the family.

His anger got the better of him and he used the poison on Mia’s mother. He was bent on wreaking havoc on the people that had torn him down and humiliated him. Aside from killing Mia’s mother, he knew well what the effects of that poison would have on a developing baby in the womb.

Ever since then, he had been keeping tabs on Mia and her brother, to no one else’s knowledge. He knew that her brother was heavily into his archeological digs and excavating the world in search of ancient artifacts and remedies.

As the years went by, Edward sent men after Chris to spy on him and report back any and all of his findings. Deep down, he had a feeling that he knew what Chris was after. And after all that time, he felt like the young man was finally getting close.

“He’s continually looking for a cure for his poor sister’s deformity. Well, I’m going to ensure that he never finds it.”

He refused to let James and Mia live happily in a life that should have been his.

In a fit of anger, he shouted for one of his men.

“Sir?”

“Reach out to the connection we have in Egypt,” he instructed. “Tell him to keep a close eye on the Johnson boy. Tell him to find the perfect opportunity to make a move and strike. Have it look like an accident.”

The man nodded his head. “How fatal are we talking?”

“Death may not be necessary,” he said with a malevolent smile. “At the very least, put the bastard into a decent coma.”

“Yes, sir.”