Extending my arm out across the back seat, Whitney reads my mind and sidles up to me, curling into my side. I wrap my arm around her, holding her to me. I lean my head down, burying my nose in her hair and reveling in her intoxicating scent.
As we drive back into the city, my thoughts are a mess of everything that happened on this little field trip today. I keep getting caught up in her comments about how Peterson would have been proud of me.
I realize I can’t keep this secret from her any longer, and I make my mind up. I’ll call Chase in tomorrow, and we’ll both break the news to her about Peterson and his less-than-ethical money swindling. I just hope that after all is said and done, she won’t hate me for shedding light on the not-so-brilliant legacy of her friend and mentor.
It’s a risk I’ll have to take—even if it means losing her.
Whitney
“Whitney.”Theo says my name in such a way that has me freezing on the spot. I’ve never heard him say my name like that—granted, we’ve only known each other a while, but it’s so jarring that it has me halting in my place.
My hand is midway into the bag of chips on my desk. I tilt my head to see him better, and my stomach tightens when I see the steely expression he’s giving me. He’s standing just a few feet away from my desk, his hands stuck in his pockets. He must’ve shrugged out of his suit jacket, since all he’s wearing now is the charcoal gray vest and his dark violet tie.
Out of my peripheral vision, I see Chase walk up to the threshold of the office and lean against the door frame. The two of them have been holed up in Theo’s office for the better part of two hours. I didn’t dare interrupt based on the way Chase’s face was set into a grim line when he arrived today. He and Theo obviously had something important to discuss—probably whatever he came tearing into the office about last week—which I doubted had anything to do with me.
“Can I get you anything?” I ask Theo, finally finding my words.
He takes a deep breath and exhales it sharply through his nose, the movement making his shoulders rise and fall dramatically. “No, can you step into the office for a few minutes?”
I glance at the clock on my computer, noting there’s only a half hour before our workday ends. There is still something so completely off about Theo right now. He isn’t the fun, easygoing man I’ve gotten the pleasure to know over the last few weeks. Something about that fact has me on edge, which is ridiculous in its own right. I’ve worked with Theo when he’s had his CEO hat on, and yet, the deep set of his brows and the way his lips are pulled into a firm line has me thinking this is a different matter altogether.
Carefully, I roll my chair away from my desk, stand up, and brush off my skirt. Theo tilts his head toward his office door, and I fall in line. My heel clicks against the floor as I walk into his office, following after Chase.
Theo closes the door behind us and then strides over to his desk, taking his seat and folding his hands on top of the mess of documents and notes strewn across his workspace.
A sick feeling settles in my gut, making me feel nauseous. Am I about to get reprimanded for something? Did I do something wrong? Has someone found out about our relationship?
Did someone hear about what Theo did to me in the office at the satellite property yesterday?
Surely it can’t be that—why would hisbrotherbe here for that of all reasons?
“What’s going on?” I finally get the gall to ask.
Theo studies my face for a moment with a tight expression. “Maybe you should sit.”
My heart thunders in my chest but I do as he asks, sitting in one of the chairs in front of his desk and crossing my anklestogether. My hands fold in my lap and I clutch my fingers tightly together. I feel frazzled, every nerve ending buzzing with adrenaline.
By the firm set frown on Theo’s face, I can tell he’d rather be anywhere else but here. He exhales sharply before he leans back in his chair and motions to his brother. “Chase found something that I believe you need to be aware of.”
Chase gives his brother a scathing look, not too pleased to have to be the one to introduce whatever we’re discussing. Chase looks at me with his kind, brown eyes—so similar to Theo’s—and gives me a sympathetic smile. “Theo brought me on as CFO and requested my help sorting through some of these financial statements from the last few years.
I nod my head. I already knew this.
“There were a few items that left question marks when I was going through it the first time,” Theo adds. “A couple of red flags. But I’m not good at the numbers, so I wanted Chase to look them over.”
I frown, still not completely understanding what this has to do with me. Theo and Chase share a look, and then Theo continues, though his expression is resigned.
“It appears that the reported numbers versus the listing and selling prices on quite a few properties are not balancing,” he explains. I blink a few times, trying to make sense of what this means. “There are a number of commercial properties that sold for significantly higher amounts than what was reported, which means there is a large amount of money that is now missing.”
“Someone stole from the company?” I ask, just to clarify. Theo is watching me closely, but he nods his head. “Do you know who it is?”
His jaw ticks, and he takes a moment to answer, but finally, he says, “Yes, we have our suspicions.”
I stare at him expectantly. When he doesn’t give meanything else, I feel the need to prompt him again. “Well, who is it?”
Theo closes his eyes and bows his head. I find myself wondering what is wrong with him. He’s never acted this strangely before. Usually, Theo is all business and can cut straight to the chase without any additional fanfare.
Long after the air in the room has grown thick, Theo looks up again at me. Fear laces through me at the look of pain in his eyes. My mind starts reeling as I run through worst-case scenarios, preparing for the worst. I’m not about to be accused of stealing, am I?
