It’s probably about Nicholas. She darted a look at Annica as she rose up on shaky legs.It’s always about Nicholas.The trek to the office felt longer than normal as he brain spiraled with worst-case scenarios and doubts. Who was the sadist who haddesigned this building so that you had to parade yourself across the entire floorplan just to get called on the carpet?
And then she realized she knew the answer. It would be Nick’s father, of course.
He was already there, standing over Meghana’s desk. Looming, the way he always did. She wished he wasn’t doing it now. Even if the HR director seemed immune to his tactics, any threatening behavior would make whatever was about to happen worse.
This definitely isn’t about the name change form.
“Oh good.” Meghana spoke in a tone of decisive calm as Jay shut the door behind herself. “Since you’re here, we can all begin.”
“Begin what?” Taking a cue from Nicholas, Jay didn’t sit down, either, remembering how helpless she had felt last time when she had been forced to remain seated while castigated like a child in front of all that yarn. She held onto the back of the chair as if it would buoy her. “What’s going on?”
Meghana held up a newspaper. Jay recognized it.The Hollybrook Herald—the one she’d been on the cover of just a few weeks before, not that she went out of her way to read it. Damon had thought it was gossipy trash and her mother didn’t read anything that wasn’t inVogue, and Nicholas seemed to get all of his news from his phone—
“What,” she began, confused, until her eyes focused on the first page.
There was a picture of her and Nicholas there, printed in black and white. Not a recent one—not one ofthosepictures. Not even the one of her in that silvery dress that she’d hated.
No, it had been taken on the night of her stepfather’s holiday party.
The night she had run away and never come back.
LOCAL CEO CAUGHT IN TABOO SCANDAL
“Oh,” Jay heard herself say, her voice cracking.
“This was on my desk this morning. I don’t know who put it there and to be honest, it doesn’t really matter.” Meghana set the paper down beside her colorful yarn decorations. “Someone took the liberty of circulating copies around the office. At this point, I think it’s a safe bet to say that everyone has either seen it or heard about it.”
Jay stared at that photo of herself in the rose gold-colored gown that she’d hated.The look in his eyes. She hadn’t imagined it—Nicholas as a young man who didn’t know how to mask his obsession. It was there on his face, plain to anyone who cared to see it.
She supposed that there were plenty of people who would.
“The copier needs credentials to work,” Nicholas said. “Did you check the log?”
“Yes. Someone used the interns’ code from the supply office.”
Jay made a sound. Nicholas started to go to her and the sight of him visibly checking the impulse—for her sake, she assumed—had her sinking into that stupid chair, after all.
“Given our last conversation on this subject and your litany of legal issues, I had hoped that we had seen the matter of corporate malfeasance reach a close. But it seems Jay’s new role in the company has now raised concerns about favoritism in the workplace.”
“Spare me the pearl-clutching,” Nicholas said. “We’re all adults here.”
Jay started to glare at him and then did a double-take. “Wait—my—my new role?”
“We were going to announce your promotion today. Mr. Hartwell made a very strong case for your lack of experience in light of your other considerable achievements. But now that this is out, we’re considering either deferring the announcement and your promotion to the next payment cycle, or until the blowback from this situation dies down. Or—” She hesitated. “Going with another candidate. There were contenders.”
They don’t want you, that nasty voice in her head whispered.They never wanted you.
“Don’t punish her for what I did.” Nicholas had moved. Now he was standing right behind her, gripping the back of her chair. She could feel the warmth of his fingers through her blouse. “There’s no need to denigrate her contributions. It’s all above board.”
“Nobody is denigrating anyone,” Meghana said. “But we have the company to think of. And I apologize for sounding harsh, but when you fail to disclose a relationship that impacts the work environment, the situation is very muchnotabove board, Mr. Beaucroft.”
“It doesn’t matter. Jay isn’t going to be taking the fall for this.” She felt him lean forward, both hands bracing on the back of her chair now. She imagined he looked like an angry-eyed panther, ready to spring. “I raised this company from the ashes. If you go through with this decision, I won’t just step down. I’ll gut it. That could mean pro bono consulting with every single one of our competitors, or it could mean a lawsuit for retaliation. I got this position by being creative, and I plan on getting even more creative if you force me to leave it before I’m ready.”
A look of panic flashed over Meghana’s face, as if she were considering the damage an angry and inspired Nicholas could wreak. “Let’s not be rash.”
“I’m not being rash. How did news of her new role get out in the first place? We hadn’t even announced it toheryet.”
Oh my god.Jay’s hands fisted in her lap.He’s right.
