“Fair enough,” I concede, feeling a small piece of my old life click back into place. “But out of curiosity, why me above Theo?”
Leon lowers himself into one of the wingback chairs near the fireplace. His knees give an audible crack. “Riverton’s a great guy and brilliant. But he’d spend the entire time stuck in his own head, overcalculating the wind resistance of a coconut. You, on the other hand, would probably figure out how to build a motorized escape raft out of a tree branch, three rocks, and some chewing gum.”
“That’s a lot of pressure.”
“It is,” he says simply. “But you could handle it like the champ you are.”
We fall into easy chatter for a few minutes, debating which fruit trees would grow on this imaginary island and the statistical odds of either of us learning to fish without losing a finger. It’s a mercy—a few minutes of being just Kaori and Leon again.
But eventually, the gravity of the room wins. The conversation circles back to the thing neither of us wants to touch.
“Have you seen the latest headlines?” I ask, my voice dropping.
Leon exhales through his nose, the humor draining from his expression. “Yeah. It’s everywhere. You’d have to be living in a lead-lined bunker to miss it.”
My fingers curl into the fabric of my jumper. “Have you heard from Theo?”
“Not since the last text I sent you.” Leon leans back. “After the lobby cleared out and stopped looking like a Super Bowl parade from hell, I checked his office. Empty. Checked every conference room on the floor. I even called in a favor with a buddy in security to see if he’d been pulled into a private briefing or escorted out the back.” He shakes his head. “Nothing. He’s gone off the grid.”
Leon’s mouth tightens. “Running away isn’t hisusual move.” He studies me for a moment, his eyes sharp and perceptive. “I’ve watched that man take hit after hit from his father—professionally and personally. He’s always just absorbed it. He’s like a machine that way. He takes the damage, recalibrates, and keeps moving.”
Leon exhales. “But today wasn’t business as usual. Dragging you into it crossed a line. It was a personal attack. And Theo finally pushed back.”
My pulse stutters.
“If I had to bet,” Leon continues, “I’d say Theo is finally done playing soldier for Darth Harris.” He meets my eyes, his expression dead serious. “Because if he didn’t draw that line today, he would’ve lost you. And whether he’s ready to admit it to himself yet or not, you matter more to him than this company and his career. You’re the one person, aside from yours truly, who can get him to smile and crack a few jokes. He’s another person when you’re around. You make him happy.”
A small bloom of warmth spreads through me. I want to believe him. I just hope Theo doesn’t end up regretting it—regretting me, and the fact that I’m the reason he broke that promise to his grandmother. I know how much it meant to him.
“I made a choice too.” I draw a steadying breath, shifting the focus back to the only thing I can control. “I’m planning to file a formal harassment report with HR and a police report here. Mr. Harris threatened me, Leon. He fired me without just cause, tried to smear me publicly, and dragged Theo into the mud with him.” My voice tightens. “If I don’t do something, he just keeps winning. I can’t let that happen.”
Leon’s eyes widen, and then he lets out a low, appreciativewhistle. “Good for you. Maybe this time, Harris will finally hit a wall he can’t climb over.”
My breath hitches. “This time?”
Leon hesitates. “I know of a few people who’ve gone to HR about him over the years. He buried the reports. Then he buried the people.” His jaw flexes. “But this is different. He picked the wrong woman this time.”
I knew I couldn’t be the only one. I hope my coming forward will encourage others to do so. I cross my arms, and the anxiety rushes back in. “I just hope it’s enough. I don’t know if my word will hold up against his.”
Leon’s expression turns steady, immovable. “It won’t just be your word, kiddo. We’re in this together. The whole team has your back.”
I step forward and pull him into a hug, leaning into the familiar, steady presence of my work dad.
“While we wait for the fallout from all that...” Leon says, pulling back with a conspiratorial glint in his eye, “I think I know where Theo is hiding out.”
“Why didn’t you lead with that? Where?”
“It just hit me, kiddo. But I’m pretty sure he’s headed to Devon,” he says simply.
“His grandmother’s farm.” The pieces click together. Theo is headed to his safe haven. Home. “I need to get there. Now.”
“Hold your horses, kiddo. I need to call his grandmom to warn her. She doesn’t like surprises.”
I frown. “How do you have her phone number?”
“When Theo first moved to Orlando, he didn’t have a soul in the States. He had to list someone as his emergency contact for the HR paperwork, and since I was the only one who didn’t give him a headache, I got the job.” Leon gives a shrug.
“Last winter, he came down with a nasty case of the flu. High fever, totally out of it. I practically had to carry him to the clinic, and when he was at his most delirious, the only thing he wanted was his grandmother’s shepherd’s pie. I ended up digging her number out of his contacts just to get the recipe. We’ve kept in touch ever since. She calls me the ‘only sensible man in the company,’ which, considering the competition, is a pretty low bar.” He pulls out his phone. “Give me one sec.”
