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I punch him in the face as hard as I can.
CHAPTER 45
PAIGE
Fuck.
Shit.
Fuck.
I stare at the floor of Graham’s office, repeating the same four-letter words over and over in my head.
Fuck. Shit.
What just happened?
Ian exposed us, that’s what happened. But why? Did I reject him one too many times? Did Oliver say something to him that set him off? How did he get those pictures? My skin crawls as I think about them. Someone was... there, lingering around during private moments.
I think I’m going to be sick.
The door opens. I stand up from the sofa as Graham steps inside, looking worn out. Upset. Disappointed.
“Graham, I?—”
I pause as I spot Ira lingering in the hallway outside of the office.
Oh, that can’t be good.
“Graham, please let me explain,” I say.
Graham closes the door. “Sit down,” he says with a wave of his hand.
Yup.
Disappointed.
I lower onto the sofa again while Graham remains standing. He silently paces for a moment before leaning against the side of his desk with his hands in his pockets.
“After you left Chicago, Ian hired a private investigator to tail you,” he says. “The photos in his... presentation only scratch the surface of what he has.”
“God...” I whisper, full of shame.
“He told the board he suspected misconduct after interacting with the two of you at his hotel, and he felt that it was his duty to report it,” he says, his teeth clenching.
“He told the board of directors?” I ask.
Graham nods. “They’re in the boardroom now. He’s... still talking. They asked me to briefly step out.”
“Oh, god...” My stomach churns. “Graham, I am so sorry. I... I didn’t mean for this to happen. I should have told you about us before, I just didn’t... I didn’t know how.”
He shrugs a shoulder. “Tell me now,” he says, stoic and calm. Just like Kingston.
I pause as memories both painful and wonderful flash in my eyes. “Oli and I... spent the night together once, about four years ago,” I begin. “It was just one night. We weren’t working together at the time... It was just one night,” I say again. “But then, we got paired together on this trip and I should have told you there was a history between us, but...”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I didn’t want to burden you with it,” I say. “You kept going on and on about how important it was to maintain normalcy and how the fate of the company was in my hands and I... I didn’t want to let you down or give you more to worry about. But then, he and I were on the road together and all these feelings started happening and I’m just... so sorry, Graham. I didn’t want any of this.”
