Blackmailing His Runaway Bride by Dance-is-me (carter reed .txt) 📗

Christina batted her eyelids furiously as she tried to recover from the blunt response. "I uh..." She gave in instantly. "The plan will do."

"Good." The older woman flashed her a smile. "Have you gotten the information on Gabriel Manifold?"

"Yes, ma'am," Christina replied, sliding the brown folder beneath her hold toward Mrs. Oxford.

Without taking a look at it, Mrs. Oxford asked, "When is the next hearing?"

"Next week."

"Good. We should start our plan before then. Miss Kane?"

As though on roll call, Christina adjusted her slightly slouched position. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Don't mess up, okay? We need to make sure the divorce doesn't happen."

Christina laughed inside her head. 

Mess up? 

How could she ruin her one chance to be with the man of her dreams? She would be nuts to let that happen.

 "I wouldn't even dream of messing up, ma'am."

The woman smirked. "Good. We need Isabella Shade out of his life."

"I will do a good job."

Mrs. Oxford gave her a curt nod and instantly wore a look that drove away any form of human contact. At that point, Christina knew it was time to leave. 

"Good day, Mrs. Oxford." The woman gave her an inaudible response as her phone settled in her palms. Christina's heels pressed into the hard rug and she was about to walk away when she recalled something. "Ma'am?"

"What are you still doing here?"

Christina could not afford to show her displeasure at the woman's attitude, so she kept her anger within her fisted hands. "Someone came in earlier to meet Charles."

Claire Oxford raised her head swiftly. "Who?"

"His father?"

"His father, who?"

Christina found the question ridiculous. Who else would be his father if not her husband? "Mr. Oxford?" Christina's voice could not help but have a touch of question in it.

"What? When?" Christina found it odder that the woman was displaying shock. 

"Like I said, earlier today."

But the sophisticated woman soon gathered herself and with composure, Mrs. Oxford said, "That's fine, Miss Kane. You may take your leave now."

"Yes, ma'am," said Christina, whose mind instantly got raided with numerous questions as she walked out of the room.