The Art Of Manipulation

Tristan said, ‘Amiyah, I’d like you to meet Mr Marty Stackhouse, of Stackhouse Holdings. Mr Stackhouse, this is Amiyah Valentine, my Uncle Kieran’s wife.’ Marty stuck out his right hand with a big smile on his face. ‘Pleasure.’ I shook his hand. ‘Nice to meet you.’ I frowned when he held my hand for longer than necessary and pulled back. He was still smiling. ‘I’ve heard a lot about you. I have to say, those photos online do you no justice. You are much prettier in real life.’ In his eyes, I detected something familiar. He was looking at me a lot like the way Leon Ferguson used to look at me, and it made my bile rise. Tristan, standing next to the man, was oblivious. ‘Does Uncle Kieran have a moment? I’m taking Mr Stackhouse to see him.’ That was when the name finally rang a bell. Marty Stackhouse was Olivia’s older brother and, more importantly, Vanessa’s husband. Before we left Lisbern, Kieran said he’d take care of Marty and help Vanessa get a divorce. But we got sidetracked by the