Page 137 of In Love and Revenge

He narrows his eyes, like he’s not sure he heard me right. ‘Who?’

‘Ella,’ I repeat, looking him dead in the eye.

It’s the name I saw on Aurora’s paperwork before I left my house. The woman who was about to file a sexual harassment complaint against George Thorne before she left the company and disappeared.

The one who mentioned Larkhay in her email.

He runs a hand around the back of his neck with an awkward chuckle. ‘She, um ... yeah, she liked it there. How’d you know about her? Does—?’

‘Your wife doesn’t know. Or if she does, then she didn’t hear it from me.’

Dom’s shoulders loosen as he blows out a breath. ‘Thanks. I—’

‘Don’t thank me. I’m not keeping it a secret for your benefit. I only found out this morning.’

Dom shrugs, looking uneasy. ‘You know what it’s like, Rafe. These young women come to work and hang off your every word, eager to learn the ropes. Then they’re working late, trying toget ahead. Batting their eyelashes at you and telling you they’re so grateful for your help. And they’re wearing these tight little dresses, and ... fuck, you’d have to be a saint not to indulge a little, you know?’

My jaw clenches. ‘Pretty sure that’s called dedication to their career. One they probably work twice as hard as their male colleagues to earn the same respect at.’

Dom scoffs. ‘Come on. You’re bedding a twenty-five-year-old. You can’t tell me you’re immune. I saw her. She’s got a body on her, that—’

‘Talk about her again and I’ll rip your tongue out!’ I snarl, advancing on him and grabbing the neck of his shirt in my fist.

‘What the hell’s got into you? It was a joke.’

‘Do you see me laughing?’ I spit.

Dom locks eyes with me, and I stare back at the man I once had immeasurable respect for.

‘She took the money, didn’t she?’

Dom’s lips thin into a stern line.

‘Answer me!’ I yell, shaking him.

‘All right! Yes!’

‘Why?’

‘I don’t bloody know!’ he splutters. ‘I think to get back at me when I told her I wasn’t leaving.’

‘She thought you’d leave your wife for her?’ I snort at the pathetic cliché of it. I bet Dom told her whatever she wanted to hear in order to get his dick wet.

‘She did after ...’ He looks to the side, unable to meet my eyes.

‘After?’ I growl.

His Adam’s apple strains against my grip as I tighten it to make him look at me.

He swallows thickly. ‘After she told me about the baby.’

Jesus Christ.

I drop him like a sack of shit, in disgust. ‘You have a beautiful wife who loves you, with whom you’ve built an entire life ... You have grown children, for fuck’s sake.’

‘I didn’t plan on getting her pregnant. Jesus,’ he hisses, rubbing at his throat.

‘So you let an innocent man take the fall? They had evidence. How did they fucking have evidence, Dom?’ I roar.