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“Different guy, different place,” I told her, waving her question to the side as I kept studying Yellow. “And it doesn’t matter if you over or underreacted. It matters that he put you into an uncomfortable, intimate situation that made you cry all over my office for twenty fucking minutes straight. That can’t be tolerated, not in any company, and especially not in one I partly run. Neither Jada nor I have enough funds to buy him out, so the only way I can think to make this fucker pay is to press a suit against him that you file.”
“I'm confused,” Jada said. “Do you two know each other personally?”
Both Yellow and I ignored her as we studied each other, my expression determined and Yellow’s filled with panic.
“Can’t we just wait?” she whispered the plea, her lashes turning damp with tears. “He didn’t know I’d be unreceptive. But now that he does, he should at least have a chance to behave and leave me alone before—before we get embroiled in some big, he-said-she-said office scandal that really wasn’t that big of a deal to begin with.”
“It isn’t a he-said-she-said situation,” I argued. “Because I witnessed the whole thing. And how can you say it’s not a big—”
“He made a pass, I made my no obvious, so now he deserves an opportunity to respect my wishes. Until such time that he doesn’t respect them, I really don’t want to turn into hot gossip that makes everyone give their opinion about how much of a slut I am or not. Please don’t make me go through that again.”
Again?
My lips parted. Was she talking about the thing between her and Bella? Or something else?
My brow furrowed as I wondered if there was more to the story with my sister that I didn’t know about. It was probably just my heart hoping she was less guilty in the Ethan—Bella situation than I’d always thought she was, but was she less guilty than I’d always thought she was?
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“If you’re absolutely certain you don’t wish to press charges...” Jada started, speaking directly to Yellow and ignoring me when I sent her an incredulous glance. “Then I have an idea of how to bluff him into hopefully behaving when it comes to you.”
“I accept,” Yellow told her immediately, bobbing her head emphatically.
I snorted. “You haven’t even heard what her idea is.”
Yellow frowned my way. “If it helps me keep my job and keeps what happened here today discreet, then I’m all in.”
“You’re impossible,” I muttered, as Jada opened the door to my office.
Who the fuck cared about discreet? She had been wronged. She deserved justice.
“Oh, Art,” Jada called, only to pull back and add, “Ah. There you are. Could you step in here for a minute with us, please?” She swept out a welcoming hand as she held the door open wide.
A second later, Art—the Ass—Draper stepped inside, sending a glower Yellow’s way before briefly touching the base of his throat.
No one bothered to ask if he was okay.
He instantly went on the defensive. “Look, I don’t know what she told you I did, but—”
“Hush!” Jada hissed as she closed the door behind him and clasped her hands together in front of her. “So here’s what’s going to happen,” she announced as she narrowed her eyes on Art. “Ms. Nicksen has agreed not to press any charges against you if—”
“Against me?” he exploded in disbelief. Digging a finger into his own chest, he blubbered, “She’s the one who attacked me.”
“She defended herself after you put your fucking hands on her,” I ground out, stepping threateningly toward him.
He lurched back and eyed me warily before turning to Jada. “I didn't do anything wrong.”
“You absolutely did,” Jada countered. “But we’re already beyond that point. So tell me, do you want to spend all your money on legal battles where you’ll essentially lose and be forced to give over your portion of the company to Gracen and myself? Or would you prefer to keep this quiet after allowing a few minor changes to the roll call?”
“What kind of changes?” he asked leerily.
“Well, for starters, Ms. Nicksen will need a new position. Letting her go because of your lewd behavior is out of the question, but it wouldn’t be wise to keep her around as your secretary either. And after what you’ve done, we can’t rightfully trust you with any woman for an aide, so—”
When she glanced my way expectantly, I knew exactly what she wanted me to offer.
“You’ll take mine,” I said, already regretting having to let go of Price as my personal assistant. He was the best help I’d ever had.
But for Yellow, it wasn’t even a question. Sacrifices would be made.
