“Colson—”
“What was the last time? I’ll tell you. I dated a woman just like you, Sophie. It wasn’t random that we had met one evening. She sought me out, she knew where I was going to be, and she went in for the attack. Because the timeline of events happened after Ellie’s mom and I broke things off and I was trying to navigate life as a single parent and co-parenting with my ex, I wasn’t in the right headspace to see this woman’s intentions. I needed an escape, and she gave that to me. We started to grow close—or so I thought. And then one morning, whilemy whole family was in the conference room, discussing some revelations about competing brands, Eden pulled up Instagram to show me a photo of my girlfriend. Who just happened to be modeling in a picture with our fucking competition. She had no interest in being with me. She was in my life to fucking milk me for insider information so she could take it to her boss and get promoted to director of marketing, which she achieved.” He paused. “Sound familiar?”
He shook his head. “That’s why I stick to Lush. That’s why I shouldn’t have touched you once I found out who you worked for.” He held the back of his neck. “Regardless, I can’t believe you would do this to my goddamn family, Sophie?—”
“But I didn’t!” I didn’t want him to stop venting, but I couldn’t let another second pass without him knowing my side. I gripped the edge of his desk. “I need you to hear me when I say this: I did not know the Gordons’ intentions. They didn’t tell me they were going to open their own version of Horned. They didn’t talk to me about the press release they shared. I’d had no idea they were going to do that.” I stalled in my explanation so each statement could be heard. “What I did know was that they wanted the money for restitution. What they were going to do with that money, they never said. So, doing what I do best, I got them the highest amount I could.”
He instantly replied, “Why should I believe you?”
“Because I have no reason to lie.” I squeezed the wood in my palms.
The sound that came out of him was like a cough, yet he choked on nothing. “I’m so far from being convinced.”
The lawyer in me began to pull at facts. They were spread above my head like a web, and all I had to do was mentally connect them. “Why would I be here right now if I was lying? Because I want our daughters to hang out? That’s laughable. Or why would I have gone to Lush multiple times over the lastweek, waiting until the early hours of the morning for you to show up? Management can confirm this if you need proof. Or why would I have practically forced your nanny to take my daughter to your house, coming up with an absurd excuse that I had to rush back to work and leave gymnastics early?”
I let those points settle in while taking in his face. My new placement gave me an even better view. And, God, he was so handsome, even in his current state.
“I assure you, Colson, if I didn’t care so much about you knowing the truth, I wouldn’t have bothered with any of this. In fact, mygive a fuckquota would have run out the moment we spoke in Hayden’s office.”
He said nothing.
“One last thing.” I pulled out my phone from my back pocket and scrolled through my email until I found the one I was looking for, and I placed my cell on his desk. “Read that.”
His eyes scanned the screen. “Who is this from?”
“The partners at my firm.”
He slowly glanced up at me.
“I was supposed to spend a few more days in Lauderdale, but when I found out what the Gordons had done, I requested an immediate meeting with my partners for later that day. I tried to change my flight. The only option available was to fly standby, and I couldn’t take the chance of not getting on a plane, so I asked Hayden if I could use his private jet.”
My weight shifted as I remembered what those hours had been like while I played with Abbi on our way to the West Coast, my mind tortured by the conversation I was about to have.
“I walked into that conference room, Colson, and I told my partners about the relationship I had with you. I followed that up with the Gordons’ course of action. I knew my partners’ response would be clear—I would have to make a choice. Evenbefore the Gordons sent out that press release, being with you and working for them was a conflict of interest.”
He leaned forward, getting even closer to me. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying”—I took a long, deep breath—“I chose you.”
His brows pushed together, and it felt like an hour passed before he said, “You chose me?”
“And I fought for you.” My head tilted back, and I briefly gazed at the ceiling. “The partners were less than thrilled that I had had physical relations with the opposing party and continued to do so while representing my client. Then there’s the sharing of insider information. I can’t prove to the partners that I didn’t relay things to you or the Gordons.” My arms crossed. “When it comes to the standards of my law firm, what I did was morally corrupt and lacked professional integrity. And they’re right to say that to me. What I did was wrong.”
He read the email again. “They’re reviewing the situation? What’s going to happen?”
“That’s unknown at the moment. My fate is all in their hands. They did accept my resignation regarding the Gordons’ account, and they’ve been reassigned to a different attorney. Which is what Troy was trying to tell you when you were in his office—that whatever legal matters you do in the future regarding the Gordons, you won’t be going up against me. But Troy said you wouldn’t hear him out. Hayden said the same.” I held up my hand, waving it in the air. “Don’t worry, they told me nothing else, I swear. But they happened to mention that they had brought up my name and you wouldn’t discuss anything with them.”
“Why would I? It’s none of their business.” His voice finally lost its sharpness, but it still wasn’t close tothe pitch I was used to.
“I agree, of course. But you have to understand, my family will do everything in their power to help me.”
He stared at me like he couldn’t believe what I’d just admitted. “Help you do what exactly? Defend your side? Make me believe you’re innocent?” He licked his lips. “What is it that you want out of this, Sophie?”
Do it, Sophie.
Do it because you deserve this.
Do it because it’s what you want.
