"What are they saying?" I ask, eyes narrowed, directing my attention back to Charles.
"Some of them are minor, bad jokes in the breakrooms, inappropriate touching on retreats…" he trails off.
"And the others?" I prod, knowing there's more.
Charles pulls in a long breath. "Sexual assault.Rape."
My breath catches, and I hear Gabe’s do the same beside me. I wonder if he's regretting taking on a role in the company, especially one meant to cover up the misdeeds of our father. He scrubs a palm over his beard, scratching the chestnut-colored hair.
"Okay, so the foundation will take eyes off the allegations?—"
Charles cuts me off. "That will work for some of them. But the ones against your father, those will be harder to cover up. The anti-billionaire movement is already gaining traction. This could only further their agenda."
"Dad…" I turn my gaze to him. His hands sit in two fists on his desk, and his cheeks are red.
"Liars," he seethes.
I close my eyes, hating the question I'm about to ask. "What are they saying?"
"There are three women at the helm," Charles breathes out. "All claiming your father raped them."
All the air rushes from my lungs.
I've always known my father wasn't a good man.
But this is worse than I could have ever imagined.
I never indulge in more than one drink, but today’s news has me itching to swallow the whole bottle. After I down one glass of whiskey, I pour myself another.
Grace's face flashes in my mind, and guilt rears its ugly head. By announcing her as my fiancée, I’ve embedded her into the Caine family shitshow. She's going to be wrapped up in all this scandal if it's released.
It could bring us all down.
But then I think about the women my father potentially hurt. I don't need to hear their stories to know they’re true. That's why my stomach burns and my chest aches.
He's a monster.
And I sat in a meeting where we discussed how to cover everything up.
So what does that make me?
Just like him.
The words bounce around in my skull, and I wince. I hate the thought. But nothing in me can dispute it. Am I like him? Do I use women to get what I want and then discard them when they no longer serve me?
I take another swallow of whiskey.
A knock sounds on my door, interrupting my mental spiral. "Not now," I spit out, assuming it's Mel trying to tell me something or other.
"Even for me?" It's the deep drawl of my older brother.
My hands freeze, leaning on the cabinet where I keep my whiskey. I inhale a deep breath and turn around to face him.
He's not supposed to be here. I have a plan. Marry Grace, inherit the company, fix all this mess. Gabe being here issomething I didn't factor in, and not knowing what he wants is going to eat at me.
"Congratulations on your new position." I grab another glass off the shelf and pour him some whiskey. "President of Sanctum Cares. Has a nice ring to it."
Silently, Gabe takes the glass from me and swallows a long sip before setting it down on my desk. "Cut the shit, Ash."
