“But—”
“You can forget working in this industry too. No one’s going to hire a traitor.” He turned around and walked back to the window.
Jade froze. There was nothing she could say. Or do. She couldn’t fix this or prove her loyalty. Numb, she turned around and left.
Tifanni didn’t look at her, and Jade suspected she’d known ahead of time what the meeting was about.
Jade hurried out of the office to her cubicle. She sank down on her chair. Ten years. Two years at PU, then eight when it was sold to Harrington. And it wasn’t just this job she’d lost. She’d lost her credibility and her ability to work in media. Probably in the whole city.
Consequences. This was the consequence of stealing the ledger. Losing her job. Her reputation. Sebastian. All because of one horrible decision. It didn’t matter that it was an accident—she shouldn’t have snuck into his office to start with. The worst part? She knew better and did it anyway.
Charlotte Rae poked her head over the cubicle wall. “I’m getting another cup of tea. Do you want— Oh no.” She rushed over to Jade. “You look like death. What happened?”
“I’m fired.” She got up and grabbed her briefcase. Opened it and put in the few personal items she had. She didn’t even need the standard cardboard box.
“What? I don’t understand.”
Jade closed the briefcase. “I’ll call you later.”
“Jade—”
She rushed out of the building. She’d get a call from HR, probably within the hour, to finalize the severance. Heat hit her as she rushed to the parking deck. June had arrived with a vengeance. Reaching her car, she got inside, turned on the engine, and let the air conditioner do its thing.
Fired. She’d never been fired in her life. She expected her financial mind to kick in and go over her bank accounts, her savings, her 401(k), her stock portfolio. None of them were robust, due topaying off debt. Who knew how long it would take for her to find another job, or even decide where to look?
But none of that was at the forefront. All she could think about wasThe Timesand Sebastian. She had to find out why he was selling. Calling him was out of the question. Visiting was too. Mabel had seen her last interaction with him, and she was sure Sebastian had told Evelyn Margot about the betrayal.
Wait. Maybe there was someone she could call. And maybe, hopefully, there would be something she could do.
Chapter 22
Kalista waited by Bo’s truck for Tyler to arrive. Her hands were damp, and even the mountain air and scent of pine didn’t soothe her nerves. It didn’t help that it was muggy and hot— something Viv had warned her about the weather once summer was in full swing. She was parked on the side of the road in the middle of her route, not that far from Mr. Hudson’s cabin, per Viv’s instructions last night.“You’ll have to fake a breakdown,”she’d said while they were still on the porch.“That way you can get him alone. There won’t be any distractions or an escape.”
“How do I do that?”
“Bo will know. He’s inside.”
Kalista listened as Bo told her what to do to the engine after she parked it. It was simple—just loosening a wire. She didn’t know the name of it or what it was hooked to, she just did what he said.“Tyler will figure it out quick, though,”Bo pointed out.“He’s a smart cookie.”
“Then you’ll have to work fast, Kalista.”Viv smiled.“Think you’re up to this?”
She wasn’t sure, but it was worth a try. He hadn’t been happy when she called him about thirty minutes ago, telling him thetruck had broken down. She was also sure he’d be even more irritated when he found out it was just a loose wire. It was a risk she was willing to take.
When she saw his car heading her way, she smoothed the dress Viv let her borrow—a cute, conservative sheath she paired with her sandals. Definitely modest, and not her normal delivery girl attire. She’d curled her hair instead of just putting it up in a ponytail, and she’d taken off her overgrown acrylics over a week ago and had given herself a plain manicure. She missed her long nails, though. Regardless of how things turned out in the future, she wasn’t going to give up her mani-pedis.
Tyler pulled behind the truck. Sure enough, there was a scowl on his face when he approached her, carrying a toolbox. Scowling didn’t suit him. Smiling did, and if Viv’s plan worked and she could talk to him for longer than a minute, she might turn his frown upside down.
“Did you look under the hood?” he said, blowing right past her and straight to the front of the truck.
“Um, no.” An itsy-bitsy lie because she’d been fiddling with the wire under it when she called him.
“Pop it for me.”
“I will... in a minute.”
He turned around. “What?”
“I’ll pop the hood in a minute.” She walked toward him, keeping her gaze on his. “After we talk.”
