AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“When I start kicking your ass, don’t ask me to spare you because I won’t,” I warn.
He gives me a mock salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
As Gabriel drives away from the building, I turn to the window to stare at the sky. I see it often from my windows, but tonight, the sky looks more beautiful than ever.
Chapter 16
Gabriel
"Sir,” my secretary’s tone carries urgency as she walks in, “someone is here to see you. He doesn’t have an appointment, but he says he’s a reporter, and he knows something you might want to hear.”
I doubt that.
I’ve had my fair share of reporters pester me, and while none of their shenanigans have damaged my reputation over the years, our interactions have never been pretty. I should turn this one away, but I’ve never had one come to my office.
“Send him in.”
When the door opens again, a man in a blue dress shirt buttoned to the throat and khaki pants walks in. He flashes the ID around his neck.
“I’m Arnold Goldsmith,” he introduces himself. “Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.”
I shake my head. “Don’t thank me yet. I have no idea why you’re here, and I might ask you to leave once you tell me.”
He sounds confident when he replies, “I don’t think you will, sir. I came to give you a heads-up, sort of. My brother works here, Adam,” he scratches his half-beard, “he ran into you on one occasion and asked for a job. You employed him the next day when he’d been unemployed for five years and was struggling to feed his family.”
I doubt that ever happened. Not because I wouldn’t allow someone deserving of a job to work here, but I don’t recall that ever happening. It must have been Caleb’s handiwork.
“Go on,” I wave my hand.
“You dated Miss Chelsea Evans three years ago, and the breakup was the first time you had anything close to a scandal. The problem is someone at our network has decided to run a story on you.”
What?
“Why? Why would anyone be concerned about my life? Or is it about my company?”
He shakes his head. “You appear in magazines frequently. At least, until recently, when you stopped showing up at parties and events. A notorious reporter famous for digging into people’s pasts and coming up with the wildest theories thinks it is because of a woman.”
“So far, he’s not found that woman. However, he’s reached out to Miss Evans to write an article about your relationship with her and use that to smoke you out.”
I’m tempted to snort in derision. “Surely he knows that it doesn’t make sense. I don’t care what Chelsea does or thinks. I closed that chapter years ago after the paparazzi announced our breakup.”
Arnold looks concerned. “If the article comes out, it will contain things that will put you in the spotlight. Other people might start digging into your current life, and if there is something you want to keep hidden, it may get out.”
True.
What do I want to keep hidden, though? Harper and I live in the same apartment building. We work at the same company. No one will suspect anything is going on.
I guess they can do whatever they like.
No. Wait.
The project.
Shit. Shit!
If they get too close, details about the project might get out, and we are one month away from unveiling it.
“I don’t have any authority regarding what goes out, so I can’t stop it. But I thought I owed you the favor, sir.”
