“I refuse to let my actions ruin their careers and their reputations. Do you have any idea what they’ve been through? It was my decision to sleep with them. It’s up to me to deal with the consequences.” I typed out a second message. “How does this sound?” I showed it to Lila, and she grimaced before eventually sighing.
“I wish you’d think this through.” She turned her drink around in her hands, watching me over the rim. “I’ve never seen you as happy as you were a week ago. I don’t like the idea of all that going away. If you won’t tell the police, tell Dante. He seems like the kind of man who could make this go away.”
“Yes, I’m sure he could.” But then he’d have to learn that I failed to protect them and I needed their help. With that single admission, all my professionalism went away. I hit send on the text and waited. I’d promised to send photo proof of my resignation being emailed. I’d send it through the main email linked to Elevate’s website, which protected all their private email addresses. I’d never forgive myself if I let this psycho get in touch with them. I promised I’d walk away, and I’d keep my word.
Tears fell in a thick wave that curled my shoulders forward. “I hate this, Lila. On the same day, I learn I’m going to be a mother and I lose the most important men in my life. It’s not fair.”
She refrained from making her point that I was feeding into the blackmailer’s plan by giving them up. I could risk it all and fight to keep them, but at what cost?
25
ALEXANDER
Three days. Three fucking days since we’d picked up Harper at the hospital and taken her home. I scrolled through the news outlets again, making sure no pictures or stories had popped up since I checked yesterday.
Dante took care of the photos with his usual payoff and intimidation tactics. They worked, so Julian and I kept quiet. I stopped scrolling when I reached yesterday’s headlines. No one was talking about us. The tide crashed into nothingness when they failed to obtain any juicy information.
Lackluster stories filled the pages and gave me a harsh stab of satisfaction. “Fucking bastards. That’s all you deserve. Shit stories with no heart. You’re not getting anything from us.” I closed the laptop and sat back with a groan.
Silence descended on the room. I trailed my fingertips over the space where Harper had sat the last time we had her in here. I replayed the sounds she made, the way she responded to us with such enthusiasm. Nowthatwould cause a scandal in the news. Thank god we’d pulled all the evidence.
A piece of paper fluttered on the corner of my desk. I scowled at it but refused to touch it. I hadn’t laid so much as a finger on Harper’s letter of resignation since Julian put it on my desk. He’d pulled it from the main email and printed it for me before deleting the message.
I was responsible for finding her replacement. Tough shit. I had no plans to replace her. If I kept ignoring the letter, it did not exist and Harper would come back to us.
I’d never been good with rejection. Rational. Disciplined. Loyal. All those things suited me.
Not rejected. What had I done to make her choose to leave us? I eyed the closed laptop, then drummed my fingers on the desk. The urge for self-discipline burned through me, tightening my shoulders. I used to punish myself in all manner of creative ways when I felt out of control or thought I’d done something wrong.
Dante and Julian helped me overcome the need, but losing Harper brought it all back. I’d promised to protect her. Her father expected me to watch out for her. Instead, I’d let her fall victim to our whims and for whatever reason, she’d decided to leave us.
The letter fluttered again, the crinkled edge catching an updraft from the air conditioning. I slammed a hand on the paper, crumpled it into a ball, then shredded it into tiny pieces that I flung into the trash. They swam through the air like drunken fairies before fluttering to the floor.
She wasn’t going anywhere. Not until I heard it from her own lips, face to face. I’d respect her wishes if she wanted to end things, even if I desperately wanted things to work between us.
But quitting?
No. That forced her to take the brunt of the hardship from our indiscretion.
A short, sharp knock sounded on my door an instant before it opened. I used the single heartbeat to unclench my fist.
Bethany walked in, her blonde hair twisted around her face in waves. She glanced around, her expression open and curious. “Sorry to bother you, sir. I was…” She paused several feet away and twisted her hands together over her stomach. “I was wondering if you’d heard from Harper? I haven’t seen her in a few days.”
So Dante, Julian, and I were not the only ones who’d missed her presence. Good to know.
“I wondered if she was coming back to work.” Bethany’s gaze drifted to the floor, probably curious about the shredded bits of paper.
I stood so fast my head swam. “I am not the keeper of employees. That’s HR’s job.” I spoke too loud, too fast, and far too angrily for such a simple question, and I forced my temper back down. “But I will check on her.”
Bethany rocked back on her heels, her eyes going wide enough to remind me of saucers. “Yes, sir. Of course, sir. I was just, well, worried about her. She seemed so out of sorts during our last meeting.”
“Have you tried calling her? The two of you have spent some time together, I assume you exchanged phone numbers.” Blood rushed in my ears, almost blocking out her reply.
“Yes. I mean, I have her number. I sent her a text message, but she hasn’t responded.” She took a step back. “Sorry to havebothered you. Thank you.” A short, clipped nod brought her hair forward.
Fuck. I’d screwed that up. I meant to come across as too important to worry about Harper, but hearing her name threatened to expose my true feelings. I’d cowed Bethany with my anger, and she slipped out the door with a quick glance over her shoulder. The look took me in from head to toe, and a sharp unease curled my hands once again.
“Is there a problem?” I demanded.
