“In fact,” my father retorted, unperturbed. “Once my lawyers are done with you, you’re going to be lucky if you avoid jail time.”
Despite the dire situation, I let out a mocking chuckle. At least he had my back.
Charles shook his head in disbelief. “You’d throw your company’s image down the drain all on the account of your son? Someone who disrespects the position he holds?”
“Our competitors will use it against us, no doubt. But we’ll recover,” Dad said, walking around to his desk and placing both hands on either side, fixing Charles with a glare that looked as if it could burn a whole right through him. “But you? You won’t recover.”
Charles was at a loss for words, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.
“Now you can take your threats and shove them up your ass, because you’re fired.” He said, making Donald Trump sound like an amateur. “Get him out of here.”
“My pleasure.” I grinned.
Though I was worried about what would happen with Armex and the effect on my relationship with Victoria if the pictures were released, it was comforting to know that my dad had my back.
I walked over and grabbed Charles by the arm. “Let’s go.”
“You can’t fire me!” Charles yelled as I led him to do the door. “This place will crumble without me!”
Dad laughed. “Everyone is replaceable. Someday you’ll learn that, Charles.”
Charles struggled against my grip as I dragged him, but he was no match for my strength. I dragged him, kicking and screaming like the little bitch that he was, out of the office.
I walked over and gathered all the damning photos and stuck them back in the envelope and turned to face my father. “So,” I said. “What now?”
I expected him to go off on me, yell at me and shame me for putting us into this position. Instead he grinned at me and said, “It looks like we’re hiring.”
Chapter 28
Victoria
“I heard you had quite a week,” Christine said to me as I stood before her desk. My boss was sitting there looking super sharp as usual in her leopard dress of all things, flawless makeup and an elegant updo, smiling at me as if I were the winner of some unknown prize.
Christine had continued to progressively show me more respect. She was even asking for my opinion on matters and complimenting me on what I wore, which was an absolute rarity.
All in all, I had to wonder if finally standing up to her that day I almost quit caused her to respect me.
“Yes, ma’am,” I replied respectfully.
She sat back in her seat, her eyes on me. “I heard that Tyler Locklin interrupted one of my auditions.”
I paused, not sure where this was going. Christine had known about this incident since the day it happened, but she was just now mentioning it. I hadn’t told her that I’d resumed my relationship with Tyler, not sure how’d she react—not that it was any of her business. “Yeah, but the audition was almost over when he did, and April got rid of him fairly quickly. I’m sorry, Christine, I know I said he wouldn’t cause anymore trouble.”
Christine raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Did she?”
“Yeah.”
“Then what was he doing up here in my office after hours?”
I froze. Did she know? There’s no way she could’ve known, could she?
“One of the interns said she saw him coming up here.”
Relief flowed through me as I realized Christine didn’t know the extent of what went on in her office. I’d done my best to clean up and get everything exactly right, after all.
“He came up with some ruse to get his way up here. We had a little talk . . . and worked things out.”
“You did?” Christine asked in surprise. “Well, good for you. Don’t put up with any shit from him though.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Okay, enough with the chit-chatting, Victoria. Get to work,” she said. “I’m expecting a call from Pierre about scheduling a meeting.”
“Yes, Mrs. Finnerman.” I turned and began to walk from the office.
“Oh and, Victoria?” Christine called.
I paused, half-turning to regard her. “Yes?”
Christine had a serene smile on her face. “I could use some coffee.”
* * *
“Open your eyes,” Tyler commanded, removing the blindfold from around my head. He’d come and picked me up after work, a tradition we’d started before our little split. He told me had something to show me, but he would only take me if I agreed to put on a blindfold.
Suspicious, it took some convincing for him to get me to agree, but of course I eventually gave in. Tyler always gets what he wants. Besides, I’ve always loved surprises.
Anxious, I popped open my eyes. It was an empty building. “What is this, and why are we here?” I asked, confused.
“It’s yours. You’re standing in your new startup location,” Tyler said. “Sure, it needs some work, but we’ll have it whipped up in no time.”