“GalvaTech has been losing money for the past year, well before Simon and I invested.It’s been well hidden up until now, but our forensic accountant found it.”
Shock transformed her features.“Forensic accountant?What are you talking about?I didn’t know you—”
“We kept it from you,” I admitted, hating how the words hung heavy between us.“Simon and I, we noticed some discrepancies in the financial reports, and we decided to investigate it ourselves without telling you or your family.”
Hurt flared in her eyes, sharp and immediate.Fuck.We’d barely scratched the surface of what I had to tell her, and she was already in pain.
“The losses have gotten worse since our investment,” I pressed on.“And that extra million Simon and I just put into the company has already started to disappear.”
“No.”She abruptly stood, shaking her head in denial like she could physically reject the information.“That can’t be right.I don’t believe anyone at GalvaTech would do such a thing.”
“It’s not just anyone,” I said, also getting to my feet.“It’s Parker.”
She froze, staring at me in stark disbelief.She didn’t even have to say a word for me to know that she thought I was insane for suggesting such a thing.
“It’s true.”I reached for her hand, but she stepped back, the rejection hitting me like a punch to the gut.“I wouldn’t accuse him without being certain, Morgan.You know me better than that.”
“It’s not possible,” she said in a calm voice that did nothing to soften the anger in her eyes.“Parker wouldn’t do that.This is our family’s company.He wouldn’t hurt us that way.And he makes good money.If he ever needed help, he’d come to us.Or me.This doesn’t make sense.You’re clearly mistaken.”
“The programmer we hired set up a trace on the new funds,” I explained, keeping my tone even despite the frustration building in my chest.“It led straight back to Parker.His computer.His login credentials.There’s no doubt.”
Her eyes narrowed.“A forensic accountantanda computer programmer were hired and given access to our computer systems without our permission?”she asked incredulously.
I knew she was deflecting, unable to wrap her mind around the bombshell I’d just dropped.I hated that she was looking at me as if I was the enemy.
“The contract that I signed with your father makes me a partner in the business, Morgan,” I said.“I’m authorized to access everything at GalvaTech.”
“That doesn’t make it right!”Her voice rose, sharp with betrayal, her hands clenching at her sides.“You should have told us what your suspicions were.”
I exhaled a deep, steadying breath when I felt anything but.“We didn’t know who was doing the embezzling.Keeping it quiet seemed like the best way to find out who was responsible without tipping anyone off.”
Her jaw dropped, her eyes widening with fresh hurt.“Are…are you saying you suspectedme?”
“No,” I said, stepping closer and placing my hands on her shoulders before she could move away.“No, baby.Ineverthought it was you.But you have to understand why we kept it quiet.It’s Parker.Would you have told me that he often works late if I’d been honest about the money transfers occurring in the evenings?”
She jerked out of my grip, renewed anger flashing across her features.“You tricked me into telling you that!I never would have pointed the finger at Parker if I’d known why you were asking.”
“That’s the point,” I said.“We had to keep it quiet because you’re family.I knew you’d protect the thief if it turned out to be one of your family members.”
“Don’t call him a thief!”she snapped.“Parker isn’t like that.”
“He’s stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars!”I said just as heatedly.
We were both upset and shouting, and I could feel the situation spiraling out of control.I hated every single second of this conversation.Morgan turned away, walking the length of the living room as if she needed to put distance between us.Each step away from me felt like a mile.
“How long?”she asked, her voice suddenly emotionless.
I would have preferred the anger, but this sudden cold, stoic distance felt like the door was closing on our relationship.
“What?”I asked, the despair washing over me, making my brain lag.
She crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin.“How long have you been investigating this?”
I knew in that moment that I was about to deliver a devastating blow to our relationship, but I couldn’t bring myself to lie to her.There were already too many lies of omission weighing on me, hovering between us.
“Since before Vegas,” I admitted quietly.
The devastated look on her face was more potent and raw this time, and I cursed under my breath, hating that I was responsible for putting it there.
