“Jeremiah…” said Sadie softly.
I held my hand up, keeping my eyes on Tanya. I could feel the anger rising in my neck. The look in her eyes told me everything I needed to know. She knew she had been caught.
“Jeremiah,” Sadie tried again. “Back off.”
“You’re fired,” I said with a sneer that pulled at my upper lip.
“Wh-what?” asked Sadie in surprise, looking from me to her friend.
Tanya didn’t say anything. She just clutched her coffee a little tighter, blinking up at me in shock.
“Yeah. I know,” I said, clenching my jaw.
She swallowed hard.
“I want you out today. I want you outnow.”
She nodded quickly, peeling herself off Sadie’s desk, who was staring up at me with hurt shock in her eyes. I did my best to ignore her. I couldn’t falter now.
Before Tanya could walk away, I leaned in.
“You will be hearing from my lawyer. I’m slapping you with a restraining order. And not only that, but defamation charges. I will let everyone I know in this city that you are a snake. You will never work again,” I threatened, pointing a finger in her face. “You stay the hell away from me. And Sadie. Nobody messes with my family. You understand?”
“Y-yes,” whispered Tanya, her voice shaking.
“Now, get the hell out of here,” I growled.
She squeezed past me and Sadie’s desk, and began to walk away.
“And tell Anderson I’ll come for him the next time he puts his nose in my business,” I called after her.
She picked up her pace, her heels clacking against the floor loudly. She grabbed her phone and purse from the front desk and desperately pressed the elevator button without looking back once.
Chapter 45
Sadie
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I asked Jeremiah, trying to keep my voice down, aware of the stares in our direction after the scene he had caused. Though he kept his voice down, the coolness of his encounter with Tanya was thick in the air. His blue eyes were chilled as he stared off in the distance, his jaw clenched.
I stood from my desk to go after my friend who stood impatiently at the elevator, nervously tucking her short, dark hair behind her ear. I took one step toward her when Jeremiah grabbed my arm and stopped me. I pulled free from him, my anger seething into him.
“Don’t,” he said, with a firm shake of his head.
“Like hell I’m not,” I said, walking away.
“She’s not who you think she is,” he murmured after me.
I stopped and turned toward him slowly, giving him a questioning look. I could see his expression had softened to sympathy as he looked at me. I looked back at the elevators just in time to see Tanya step into them and disappear. She was gone.
Jeremiah gestured to his office and stepped inside. I hesitated, wondering if I should still go after my friend, but the words vibrated through me.
She’s not who you think she is.
I followed Jeremiah into his office where he had already settled in at his desk. He was rummaging through the bottom drawer.
“Close the door,” he said distractedly.
I did as he said and sat across from him, as he began piling papers on his desk.
