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“What the hell is this?”
“I’m sure you know. It’s the bogus land survey. Geller’s land isn’t uninhabitable. It never was.” He barely acknowledges the report or what I said. “You hired the Hill Group to do a land survey, and they came back with a falsified report. That land is and never was contaminated.” He waves me off and stands, walking over to his mini bar. “How many more of these are there?”
“Are of what? Theo, it happens. Not all reports are accurate.”
“This doesn’t just happen. Jesus, how many more fake land reports are there like this? All those projects you’ve insisted we use the Hill Group for.”
“Son, I don’t know what you’re getting at, and I don’t like it.”
“How many?” My voice rises. “The audits. The cover-ups. Is this why? You can’t get the goddamn merger to go through because you can’t bury all your fucking scandals deep enough?”
“That’s enough.”
“I want the truth. I won’t be a part of this.”
He turns to me, his expression cold and emotionless. “You already are, son.” He takes a sip of his scotch. “You think you get to just walk away from this? You always seem to forget what power Charles Hill holds over you.”
“He holds a lie over me.”
“He’s the reason you are where you are and not in jail forrape. Shall I remind you of that night? You need to be more appreciative. Especially to Alana. Speaking of Alana, how was the charity event?” He stares at me with those beady eyes, waiting for a reaction. “I must say, you never did take direction well. Always wanting to flout the rules laid before you. I thought you would have gotten the point after Claire. Or Breanne. Every pathetic little fling you’ve tried to have behind my back. But now yourassistant?”
His words hit their mark. A chill radiates down my spine. “Leave her out of this.”
“Youshould have. Taking her to an event like that. What were you thinking?”
That I want to be free of you and all your evil scheming. “It was convenient.”
“Was it now?”
“It was a one-time thing. You’re looking into things that aren’t there.”
“Then forget this nonsense.” He picks up the report and tosses it in the trash. “Dinner is set for the day before your birthday. Youwillpropose, and then we’ll go public with news of the merger.” His words turn my stomach sour. “Is there anything else you wanted to discuss?”
Too much is swirling inside my head. Fury and resentment boil inside me, and I can’t trust myself to speak. I turn on my heel and leave.
One thing’s for certain; I’m done playing his game. I’ve finally found a reason to fight. Now I have to figure out a way to stay on top.
Chapter seventeen
Fay
“Oh,thankGodyou’reback.” Amy throws her hands around my neck before I’m through the doors. “These have been the longest two days of my life.”
I laugh and pull away. “Uh oh. That bad?”
“Almost unbearable. You’d think someone took his favorite toy away.”
A rush of warmth spreads across my cheeks, and I hope Amy doesn’t notice. “Oh boy. Maybe I should have waited another day or two to return.”
“No way. Please never take off again.” A delivery comes in and interrupts us. “Catch up later?”
“For sure!” I head down the hallway, trying to hide my anxiousness.
Amy’s right. These have been the longest two days in history. Leaving my mom to care for my dad, I decided it’s time to return to work. The constant back-and-forth bickering about things like sodium intake was making me insane. My mom has a lot of work to convince him to change his bad habits because I swear he would put salt in his cereal if he could.
That last kiss from Theo has been on repeat since he walked away from me in the ER waiting room. What did it mean? It was nothing like the other times we kissed—not a hot, desperate ‘need to rip each other’s clothes off’ kind of kiss like in his office or the night of the benefit dinner. Instead, it was sweet. . . meaningful. And it confused the hell out of me. That wasn’t how you kiss someone you’re just having fun with. And is that what we’re doing?
I fought the urge to call and ask that very question. Because what if I’m wrong? He’s every woman’s fantasy, minus the asshole part. But he can have anyone he wants. I have a hard time convincing myself that person would be me. I know; the smallest violin is playing as we speak. I am nowhere near bombshell status. More like runner-up.
