“I’ve poured everything into this contract and agreed to wait for payment until the project is complete. And if I don’t finish on time, I don’t get paid.”
Bella gasped. “That’s how you beat the other firms.”
He nodded slightly, the movement crinkling the pillow. “You have to finish it for me.” His grip on her hand tightened. “You’re the only one I trust.”
“Dad—I can’t just—” She cut off. Ten hours ago, she had several reasons she couldn’t drop everything and run up to The Cove. Ten hours ago, she had a fiancé and a third-tier job as an assistant legal clerk. Dad had worked on this project for a couple of years; it was in the background of her life but near the center of his. She should have paid more attention—especially when he went to work for the Beast. The man ran in a completely different circle, a circle that was so far out of her reach it might as well have been on Pluto.
Could she just up and quit? She hadn’t even bothered to call the office and tell them why she hadn’t come back from lunch. In truth, the work was boring and the people were cold. Leaving would be a relief.
Her heart fluttered at the idea of taking over the multibillion-dollar project. If she put her nose to the grindstone and didn’t look up for twenty years, she may still never have the chance to take on a project like this one. And to be able to say she worked for Adam Moreau? That was huge for a résumé. Any law firm in the country would look twice—his reputation was stellar. She’d have to Google him to learn more—all she really knew of him was that she should run the other way if ever his name was opposite hers on a case.
Her eyes fell on her father, who could hardly keep his eyes open. All the reasons she should do this for herself paled in comparison to doing it for her father. He’d given up the fast lane when her mother died so she’d have a parent home at night to help with her science projects and pack a lunch in the morning. He’d made a good life for them, one full of love and mental challenge. He was her champion, and this was an opportunity to be a champion for him.
“I’ll do it.” She pressed a kiss to his forehead. “You get some rest and know that I’ll take care of everything.”
“Ah, Bella. You make me so proud. The information is in the study at the castle. There’s so much to tell you.”
“Shh, shh.” She rubbed his arm. “Rest now. They’ll be time enough for that in the morning.”
Dad nodded off, the pain medication doing its work and letting him sleep peacefully. Bella hugged herself and watched him sleep for a few moments.
Once in the corridor, her thoughts went back to the man with the celestial blue eyes. She wondered if he was still in the hospital, if he had lived through the ordeal, if he had anyone to hold his hand and brush his wavy hair off his forehead. She rubbed her eyes. “I’m too tired to think straight.” She pushed thoughts of the stranger away and focused on finding food. She needed to be at the top of her game if she was going to face the Beast in the morning.
Chapter Five
Adam
Adam spent seven days in the hospital, where he was scrubbed, saturated with solutions, drugged for the pain, medicated to prevent infections, given his first full-thickness skin graft, and acquired a ghastly plastic compression mask that he was required to wear twenty-four hours a day for the first month of treatment.
His house was full of flowers, gaudy balloon bouquets, and get-well cards, each gift sent from a person he didn’t know well enough to call a friend. His story made headlines, and the who’s who of the world were in Camp Adam. The gestures were nice, he supposed, but empty. They filled his house with things, but it was still empty of close friendships, meaningfulness.
He glared at the ornate floor, hating that his mind was restless enough to dwell on frivolous things. The doctors said they wanted him to focus on healing. How did one do that, exactly?
His plastic surgeon was one of the best and one of the few who didn’t look at him with pity. Instead, he looked at Adam as if he was a challenge. Which Adam could respect, because he understood that kind of a drive in a man. It was the same drive that made Adam stay up all night studying new case law and debating the latest Supreme Court case with Benedict Troughton, his personal assistant.
Ben was the one person in the world who didn’t mind ticking Adam off, which was why it drove him nuts that Ben was being so nice to him today.
“Stop pandering, Ben. I’m not an invalid.” Adam pulled up the brakes on the wheelchair, causing Ben to stumble into the back of it. He was officially out of bed, though wheeling around the house wasn’t much of an outing.
“You’ve had a rough go of it. I’m only trying to help.” Ben tugged on his long-sleeved button-up shirt. The weather in Seattle had been drizzly and gray for the last several days, typical winter in the Emerald City and matching Adam’s mood as if ordered.
A rough go.He was luckier than some, and he knew it. The damage was confined to the left side of his face below his cheekbone. Throwing his arm up had stopped the acid from reaching his eyes and covered his mouth. His suit was shredded, having absorbed the acid and protecting his skin. A five-thousand-dollar jacket was a small price to pay—a pittance, really—for the chance to see. Nevertheless, he avoided looking at himself in the mirror.
“You can help by getting me back on track. I’ve lost too much time to this as it is.” He sprung his fingers towards his cheek. “Where’s Martin?” They were less than two months away from completion on Phase I. There were things to do.
Ben sucked in his cheeks. “I’m afraid Martin has been absent since the day of your accident. His assistant has taken over.”
“Assistant?” Adam shifted his weight in the chair. Would it kill them to add padding? “I don’t recall an assistant.”
“From what I understand, she’s …new.” Ben’s hesitancy betrayed his worry over thisassistant. Whatever was wrong with her, Ben must have known it would upset Adam. Fierceness grew inside Adam’s being. He would not allow subpar work. If Ben thought The Cove could be placed on autopilot because Adam was in the hospital, he had another thing coming.
Adam smacked the arm of the chair once before slamming his hands on both arms and rising to his feet. The world didn’t tilt—a sure sign that he’d allowed himself to sit in the chair for too long.
“Sit down!” ordered Ben.
Adam shoved his insistent hands away. “I can’t sit here and let myself fall to pieces because of a lunatic. And I won’t let Martin take advantage of my situation and send in a half-baked assistant.” He marched towards the door, his legs wobbling at first and then gaining strength as he went. “I’ll have his entire salary for this.” Adam’s voice grew in volume as he neared the study where Martin usually worked. Ben sputtered something about doctors and hospitals behind him.
The sliding doors were shut. Reveling in the feel of using his muscles for the first time in weeks, Adam flung both doors wide, sending them clapping against the wall. The sound was like thunder in the ornate room and echoed off the ceiling, making the glass chandelier tinkle. Such a satisfactory sound.
