AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Yes, it involves a major legal case. That’s the only thing anyone seems to know.
And naturally, both Hannah and Shepherd are busy as ever, buried in calls and meetings related to quarterly earnings when they aren’t huddling up with lawyers.
My emails go unanswered.
Fine.
I get it.
If the companyisembroiled in some major legal case, then it makes sense they’re both tied down putting out fires. I just wish I could get more than a vagueyou’ll know everything soonfrom Shepherd by text.
I have so many questions.
Like why I’m suddenly not sharing the office with Mark and his stuff is gone.
Sure, it’s a mildly pleasant surprise not having him hanging over my shoulder, making inane comments.
But it’sweird.
What happened? Why did he get canned so abruptly? Was he stealing pens by the truckload or hacking the vending machines?
No one seems to know.
A few people give my lonely little office odd looks when they see he’s gone, but I’m thinking they just miss the parade of pastries and bagels he’d always bring.
I try to pick up the slack once or twice, bringing in Regis rolls and boxes of coffee from Sweeter Grind. It can’t hurt to invest in a little goodwill around here.
I also press on alone, tackling the query pile for Corporate Giving, moving through polite rejections and sorting promising candidates for the higher-ups.
Onward and upward.
If I stay busy, maybe I won’t think about the quiet tremors happening under the surface at Home Shepherd, but of course, I still do.
How could I ignore them when I’m sure it relates to our trouble?
But I’ve scoured the news a million times over and there’s nothing new. No one has reported anything about Home Shepherd or Meghan or even Vanessa.
Even Meghan has been weirdly quiet since her last video.
The smaller influencers hoping to ride her coattails by covering the scandal are also spinning their wheels, and new videos have slowed to a crawl the last couple days.
Awesome news, in theory.
In practice, it’s suspiciously quiet.
Best of all, the trip is today. This afternoon, we’ll be embarking on Shepherd’s yacht for a whale trip.
So I head out a little early, clean up, and then drive to his massive estate and wait for him to meet me at the door, bringing Molly along for the ride.
“Destiny.” My name sounds so reverent in his mouth it makes my breath catch.
So does the way he pulls me into his arms.
It’s barely been a week but he hugs me like it’s been a decade apart.
God, he’ll never not feel good.
It doesn’t matter that his face is dark and shadowed, handsome but haggard with a five o’clock shadow.
