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But who would have done something like this? Why my laptop?
"Do another examination,” I pleaded. “Check the time the leak happened. I never go home with my work laptop." Except for that one time when I'd taken it to Aaron's penthouse, where we had been too preoccupied with tearing each other's clothes off to work. "What day was it? It wasn't me."
"The leak happened at 3:45 p.m. on Monday," the man who had carried my laptop answered. "From your desk. You were in on Monday, weren't you?"
Everything in me froze. 3:45 p.m. on Monday. I racked my brain, trying to recall my movements. At 3:30 p.m., I left Aaron's office for the women's restroom. I vividly remembered that because I'd checked the time first.
I couldn't recall what time I'd come back in to get my sketchbook, but having sex with Aaron, encountering Jade in the bathroom, and the argument with Aaron in the garden could not have been less than thirty minutes.
That meant that someone had the opportunity to send the game files to my father during that time.
It meant that it wasn't me.
I had proof.
I looked at Aaron and instantly knew he'd put two and two together. That also meant that he knew I couldn't say anything because then everyone would know that we were having sex in the bathroom during working hours, and that was even worse than leaking sensitive information to a rival company.
Fuck. I was stuck.
I watched, a tear sliding down my cheek as Aaron leaned toward Jeff. "It's not her. She was with me at that time."
Jeff opened his mouth to respond, but Jade beat him to it. "But neither of you were at your desk at that time. So, where were you?"
A mocking edge to her voice made me think she had a hand in this, but that thought dissipated as quickly as it came. Jade wasn't stupid, and she didn't strike me as someone who would go to such lengths to her detriment just to get back at me.
Maddy elbowed me gently in the side and whispered into my ear. "Was that when…?"
I nodded, swallowing a thick ball of saliva.
The thing I feared the most had happened: My father had won. The thought pressed upon me heavily, and I quickened my feet to move before breaking down in front of the entire room. With my hands, I pushed open the double door and burst through it, practically running for the elevator.
All I'd wanted my entire life was to break out from under my parents' shadow. I'd been known as Felicity Wiley, daughter of gaming legend Stephen Wiley and socialite Catherine Wiley. Never as a brilliant video game designer, or even as an average person.
Most people had a misconception about me and how I was raised. To any other person, being born to wealthy parents might have been something to be proud of. I had been stereotyped my entire life. Hadn't Jade called me a spoiled princess with daddy issues?
But no one knew of the constant feeling of emptiness I felt and the complete loss of self I had to deal with. Yes, I'd been born into wealth, but it wasn't all rainbows and sunshine. My father tried to control my life for as long as I could remember. I had to go to this school and have those kinds of friends. I was expected to know certain things and have certain talents. And if those talents weren't natural, they had to be cultivated.
And for someone like me who just wanted to live a simple life, the limitations of who my parents were would always hinder me.
"Felicity, wait,” a voice called out.
I stopped, wiping at another fallen tear before turning to face Aaron.
"I know you didn't do it," he said, taking three cautious steps forward so he didn't have to shout. "And I'm going to do all I can to convince Jeff of that."
I scoffed, swiping at another tear. "And how are you going to do that? Tell him we were fucking at the time of the leak?"
His eyes flashed. "If that will help, then yes. I'm not ashamed of us, Felicity. I'm not going to hide away my feelings for you."
He said “us.” Oh my god, why did he have to make everything so damned complicated? Why couldn't he just give up?
"This isn't about us,” I said. “There's no us, for goodness’ sake."
He angled his head slightly, regarding me with a knowing smile. "Isn't there?" Gray eyes dug into mine. "All of this is about us. No matter how hard you try to deny it."
"You lied and deceived me. You have no right to talk about us."
He took another few steps until he could reach out and touch me. He didn't, though. "I'm sorry, Felicity. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. You don't know how sorry I am."
