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“It’s not your fault.”
She nods again, her brow creasing with a hint of satisfaction as she backs away and the tension in the air seems to evaporate. With a soft click, the door shuts behind her just as Jackson steps into my office, his determined strides carrying him forward.
“Hey, man.” I rub my brow, the tension not dissipating despite my desire to move on with my day.
“What did you do?” He glares at me with an icy intensity, his clenched jaw visibly twitching.
I open my mouth to respond but realize I have no idea what he is talking about. “Great to see you too, buddy.” I laugh, which is clearly not the response he wants as he slams his palm onto my desk, rattling its contents in the process.
“What did you say to Hannah?”
Seriously? This is about Hannah?
“Uh, nothing, actually. We haven’t spoken all day.”
“Well, you clearly said or did something, because she just went home in tears.” He steps into my space, pressing hispointer finger firmly against my chest as he speaks, the words gritting through his teeth. “So whatever it is that you did, fix it.”
He steps away, striding over to his side of the office without further elaboration.
Jackson’s words hit me like a ton of bricks; I can’t believe my ears. Hannah has been on edge since Saturday, but never has she seemed so upset that she’d cry so obviously at work. A wave of emotion floods my body, confusion quickly shifting to concern with each passing second. My heart rate quickens as the thought of her in distress fills me with burning rage and an undeniable urge to help.
“I gotta go,” I say as I pull my suit jacket off the back of my chair. “I’m going to send my calls to voicemail, but if anything urgent comes up, call me on my cell.”
Jackson pins me with a confused expression but surprisingly doesn’t try to pry into what has me so frantic and ready to leave.
“Okay.”
Without a word, I sprint down the hall and skid past my dad’s office. The unmistakable sound of his voice calling after me reverberates through the air, echoing off the walls like thunder in a rainstorm. His words trail after me as I attempt to bolt out of sight, but he steps into the doorway, halting me in my tracks.
“Liam, come here, please.”
“Dad, I really have to go.”
“Liam,” he says, his tone dropping lower like when he would reprimand me as a child.
“Okay.” I instantly cower, knowing with certainty that there is nothing good that can come of me disregarding him. I step into his office, closing the door behindme, and sit in one of the two chairs on the opposite side of his desk. He settles into his chair.
“With Hannah quitting, I’ve decided to have HR post a job listing for a new assistant for you and Jackson. Both of your client loads have gone up significantly in recent months and I want to make sure it’s as seamless as possible.”
The panic from before is nothing compared to the racing of my thoughts now.
“Hannah quit?” I try to keep my panic out of my voice, but some of it seeps into my words, causing my dad to give me a confused expression.
“Yeah, she stopped by my office about twenty minutes ago. Her last day will be Friday. Seemed upset, but it’s not my place to pry. Hannah aside, we need to start interviewing her replacement ASAP. I’ve already had HR post the job online. I’m hoping to start going through résumés next week.”
His words start to fade into my periphery as my mind races, the weight of Hannah leaving causing me to nearly pass out. I don’t know what I did—I can’t help but think it’s my fault. When she started at Baker & Park, getting her to quit was at the top of my to-do list, but now the idea nearly has me on my knees in anguish.
“Are you okay?” My dad leans in, placing his hand over mine. Where my hands are clammy and cold, his are warm and inviting.
The anxiety coursing through my veins does little to prevent me from spilling my thoughts, audience be damned.
“I need to go find Hannah.” I jump up from my chair with little concern for the implication.
“Why would you need to go find Hannah?” His brows pull together, but I don’t miss the amused smile that paints his lips.He knows—to what extent I can’t be sure, but he definitely knows more than I thought he did.
“Just…I need to go find her. We need to talk.”
Silence falls as I step toward the door, the cold brass of the handle biting into my hand.
