I Married My Ex's Billionaire Father-Chapter 301: Responsible For Anya’s Death

"When I started to investigate Danny’s murder, I found Danny’s statements of accounts," Luca began. "There were lump sums of money. Frequent deposits. All coming from an offshore account."

Honey tilted her head slightly, curiosity flickering across her face.

"Why did that surprise you?" she asked.

Luca scratched the back of his head, searching for the right way to explain.

"Well, in our line of work, an untraceable account usually means someone who doesn’t want to be known," he said slowly. "It means someone wants photos. As discreetly as possible."

Honey raised an eyebrow but said nothing, letting him continue.

"It happens frequently enough," Luca went on. "An entertainment company wants scandalous photos of a rival superstar so that their star can come ahead. Some executive wants dirt on their competitors. A politician wants proof of an affair but they don’t want it traced back to them. They send money quietly, off the books, for your services."

Honey leaned back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest.

"So how does Brandon come into this?" she asked, a hint of impatience slipping into her voice.

Luca nodded as if he had been waiting for that question.

"This," he said, reaching into his bag and pulling out a thick file. He placed it carefully on the table in front of her.

Honey looked down at it suspiciously before reaching forward and opening it.

Inside were glossy magazine covers, printed news articles, paparazzi shots. Every single one featured Lyse Spade and Brandon. Some showed them walking together. Others showed them laughing at dinners, stepping out of cars, holding hands. A perfectly curated public romance.

Honey flipped through the pages slowly, her expression unreadable.

There were at least ten different publications.

She finally looked up at Luca.

"Okay?" she asked flatly. "What do these mean?"

Luca leaned forward.

"I don’t know if you’re aware of the love triangle between Levi, Brandon, and Lyse," he said.

Honey gave him a thin smile.

"Why don’t you humor me," she replied. "Let’s assume I know nothing."

Luca cleared his throat.

"So, Brandon ditched Lyse at the altar for her sister Brooke," he began. "Humiliated her publicly. Then, about a week later, she pops up in the news. Now she is married to Levi. Big dramatic twist. Everyone is talking about it but Brandon and Brooke don’t remain together."

Honey nodded, Brett had followed his brother’s activicties and through him she had been kept abrest of everything that happened.

"Then she breaks up with Levi," Luca continued, "and suddenly she’s back in the headlines again, this time conveniently linked to Brandon."

He gestured toward the photos spread across the table.

"All of this," he said, tapping the file, "happens right around the same time Danny starts getting those mysterious payments."

Honey glanced down at the images again.

"So you think Brandon was paying Danny and tipping him to where they were?" she asked.

Luca nodded.

"At least, that’s my theory."

Honey pursed her lips thoughtfully.

"Couldn’t it have been Levi?" she countered.

"That’s a fair thought," Luca conceded. "Except, from my inside sources, it seemed that Levi wasn’t willing to let Lyse go. He was still trying to fix things. If anything, he would have wanted photos that showed Lyse miserable, not happily moving on."

He pointed to one of the covers.

"It stands to reason that whoever wanted these photos made public wanted to create a story. A narrative. Lyse moving on with Brandon. Lyse choosing Brandon."

"Hmmm," Honey muttered.

She did agree with Luca, at least partially.

But she had learned the hard way never to accept anything at face value.

She wasn’t trying to argue with him, just poke holes in the theory to make sure nothing was overlooked. As far as she was concerned, everyone was a suspect. And until she got her hands on those missing keys and got her money, everyone would remain a suspect.

"So if Brandon was getting what he wanted," Honey asked, "why did Danny get killed? It makes no sense."

Luca shifted in his seat.

"In our line of work, money doesn’t usually come as a steady stream," he explained. "Jobs come and go. You get paid for a few photos here, a few stories there. Then it dries up and you have to wait on the next job or just camp out at celebrity spots all day with nothing to show."

Honey nodded slowly.

"Sometimes," Luca continued, "when you land an opportunity like this... regular payments, a powerful client, you don’t want to let go. You start digging deeper. You try to see if there’s something else to be gotten."

Honey folded her hands together on the table. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"So," she said dryly, "he got greedy and decided to try his hand at a little blackmail?"

Luca shifted uncomfortably.

"That’s what I think," he admitted.

Honey let out a short chuckle.

"I trust you’re not planning to toe that line yourself," she said lightly.

The color drained slightly from Luca’s face.

For a brief moment he remembered his own foolish attempt at blackmail, how close it had brought him to his death. His eyes flickered nervously to the hulking bodyguard standing silently behind Honey.

The man hadn’t moved an inch since Luca arrived.

Hadn’t spoken.

Had barely even blinked.

But his presence filled the room like a loaded weapon.

No doubt he will not miss if he tries to kill me, Luca thought grimly.

"Absolutely not," he said quickly. "Lesson learned."

Honey watched him with mild amusement before waving a hand for him to continue.

"There is more," Luca said, straightening in his chair and pulling his thoughts back on track.

Honey’s expression sharpened.

"Go on."

"I don’t think Danny’s murder was an isolated incident," Luca said carefully. "I’ve been digging into old cases, old stories. And something else caught my attention."

Honey narrowed her eyes.

"What?"

Luca hesitated for a moment, choosing his words with care.

"I think Brandon might be responsible for Anya’s death too."

Honey froze.