About the acquisition. About intel.
"Victor?" Patricia's voice cuts through my thoughts, barely audible over the rain. "Are you alright?"
"When did you receive this?"
"About an hour ago. From an anonymous email address."
"And you have no idea who sent it?"
"None. But the source is less important than the content, don't you think?"
I hand back her phone, my hand steady even though everything inside me is shaking.
The heat lamp flickers beside us, orange light dancing across Patricia's face.
"What do you want, Patricia?"
"I want to know if you were aware of this relationship between Ms. Beaumont and FoodFirst."
"No."
"And does this change your perspective on Ms. Beaumont's position at StreamEats?"
Every instinct is screaming at me to defend Harper. To explain that she said no. To point out that the final email proves she chose me over the money.
But I can't.
Because she lied.
She's been hiding this for weeks. Just like Isabelle hid things.
Just like everyone hides things until the truth destroys you.
"I need to speak with Harper," I say, my voice colder than the air around us.
"Of course. But Victor—the board will need to know about this before Monday's vote."
My pulse thunders in my ears. “Is that your plan? To tell them?”
“My plan…is to do what's best for StreamEats. Which may or may not include sharing this information, depending on how you handle the situation."
The threat is clear.
“Don’t you fucking worry. I’ll handle it."
My CEO nature has finally kicked in, my tone dropping to levels low enough to scrape the Earth’s core, and Patricia clears her throat, now shifting on her feet.
“O-of course, Mr. Kade,” she stutters. “I’ll give you until end of business tomorrow to make your decision." She adjusts her coat. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm freezing.”
Careful not to come anywhere near, she shuffles past me, back into the warmth of the ballroom, leaving me standing alone under the awning in the freezing rain.
I stay there for a moment, letting the cold seep into my bones, letting it numb everything.
Then I go back inside.
Harper is still where I left her, talking to a small group of investors near the bar. She looks up as I approach, and her smile falters when she sees my expression.
"Victor?” Her lashes flutter, hazel eyes steady. “What's wrong?"
