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Back The Marriage Trap: A completely addictive psychological thriller Save as PDF
Chapters (60)
  1. Cover
  2. Books by Sheryl Browne
  3. Dedication
  4. KARLA
  5. One
  6. Two
  7. Three
  8. Four
  9. Five
  10. Six
  11. Seven
  12. Eight
  13. Nine
  14. Ten
  15. Eleven
  16. Twelve
  17. Thirteen
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. Sixteen
  21. Seventeen
  22. Eighteen
  23. Nineteen
  24. Twenty
  25. Twenty-One
  26. Twenty-Two
  27. Twenty-Three
  28. Twenty-Four
  29. Twenty-Five
  30. Twenty-Six
  31. Twenty-Seven
  32. Twenty-Eight
  33. Twenty-Nine
  34. Thirty
  35. Thirty-One
  36. Thirty-Two
  37. Thirty-Three
  38. Thirty-Four
  39. Thirty-Five
  40. Thirty-Six
  41. Thirty-Seven
  42. Thirty-Eight
  43. Thirty-Nine
  44. Forty
  45. Forty-One
  46. Forty-Two
  47. Forty-Three
  48. Forty-Four
  49. Forty-Five
  50. Forty-Six
  51. Forty-Seven
  52. Forty-Eight
  53. Epilogue
  54. The Affair
  55. Hear more from Sheryl
  56. Books by Sheryl Browne
  57. A Letter from Sheryl
  58. The Babysitter
  59. The Second Wife
  60. Acknowledgements

‘Hi, Paul.’ Jason tried not to sound as desperate as he felt. So, did he tell him that the customer-fronting software he’d promised to deliver within the week wouldn’t be ready? Or did he try to stall – again? The latter, he decided. His children were still his children. He still had to provide for them. He wouldn’t accept defeat until he had to. It would mean working 24/7, but he could at least give it one last shot. ‘Look, Paul, I’m going to be honest, we’re making some headway, but we need a little more time. There are just a few minor problems we need to iron out. Can I call you back on Friday?’ he asked him. ‘I should be able to give you a definite timing by then.’

Jason heard the man’s long intake of breath, which didn’t bode well. ‘No need, Jason,’ Paul said eventually. ‘The thing is…’

Apprehension knotting his stomach, Jason stopped walking.

‘There’s been a development,’ Paul went on, sounding apologetic.

‘As in?’ Guessing he was about to hear his company’s death knell, Jason held his breath.

‘Logic Solutions,’ Paul supplied awkwardly.

One of his competitors? Jason wondered if he was hearing him right. But they were smaller than he was. Paul had approached them before coming to him. He’d liked their ideas, he’d said, but suspected they hadn’t got the funds to back them up.

‘They have a benefactor, apparently,’ Paul enlightened him, as Jason struggled to get his head around it. ‘Someone who’s invested in the company, thereby allowing them to get their program up and running. I’m sorry, Jason, but I can’t afford to delay any longer.’

Jason felt his gut constrict. ‘Who?’ he asked.

Again, Paul hesitated. ‘I don’t think the information’s public knowledge yet, Jason. I’m not sure I should—’

‘No. Right. No problem.’ Biting back his anger, Jason cut him short. ‘I understand, Paul. Thanks for letting me know.’

Feeling as if the express train that had slammed into him had reversed to roll over him again, Jason ended the call. He didn’t need confirmation. He already knew who it was: Robert Fenton. And his motive: to make sure that Jason knew he could either walk away with something, as long as he kept his mouth shut, or with nothing.

Sixteen

JASON

Rachel stood from her desk as Jason pushed through the door into the main office. ‘Hi, Jase. Do you think I could grab you for—?’

‘Can you give me five minutes, Rachel,’ Jason said shortly, and then pulled himself up. The fact that he’d just been crucified by Robert Fenton wasn’t her fault. ‘Sorry. I, er…’ Smiling apologetically, he attempted to get his emotions in some sort of order. ‘Five minutes.’