Page 17 of A Billionaire Abroad

“Oh.” He took a sip of coffee. “I didn’t realize he was still part of it.”

“You didn’t fire him, did you?” She hadn’t heard he had.

Sterling shook his head. “I just assumed you were getting the work done.”

“Iam.” Hadn’t they just established that?

“He’s the reason you fell behind two days ago. Is it really smart to—”

“I didn’t fall behind,” she said. “Everything got done on time and on schedule.”

He didn’t look at all convinced. “And he’s been part of it?”

“That’s why you hired him. He’s good at what he does.”

He muttered something under his breath as he drank more coffee.

“What was that?” she asked.

He shook his head, a look of obvious annoyance in his eyes. “Never mind.”

Her frustration was growing. “If you have a complaint, I’d like to hear it.”

“It wasn’t a complaint,” he said.

“No,” a familiar Irish voice answered, “it was an insult.”

She looked over at Conall, who was listening from not far away at all. His gaze on Sterling was hard and cold.

“Why would you insult him?” she asked Sterling. “He’s worked hard.”

“It wasn’t me he was insulting,” Conall said.

Then it washer.

“Keighley’s been working hard,” Conall said. “And this event of yours is going to be brilliant because of her. I’d say you owe her an apology.”

“She works for me,” Sterling said. “And so do you. I don’t apologize to employees.”

“I’m not your employee.” Keighley’s voice and fire returned very suddenly. She’d spent her first day with Conall insisting Sterling wasn’t her boss. She wasn’t going to cave on that now.“I don’t require you to apologize, but I will be treated with professional respect.”

Apparently no one had ever spoken to Sterling that way. He looked surprised, baffled. How had she thought this man was anyone’s ideal, let alone hers?

“Your event will be a success,” she said, standing up. “That is a promise I always deliver on. It’s the reason my event planning services are in demand. It is the reason the last event I put on for you was so impressive that you gave me this event to plan as well.”

Conall stood, watching Sterling with firm silence, arms folded, jaw set.

“I’ll email you updates as needed, but I don’t think these morning meetings are necessary.” She gathered up her papers. “And I’ll contact your travel secretary directly to get the details of my return flight and hotel checkout.”

She walked away without giving him a chance to either defend himself or rip into her. Conall remained behind, but she made directly for the elevator. She felt like she didn’t even breathe until she was in her room, door closed, curtains pulled.

This job had seemed like the ultimate opportunity: a dream trip to Ireland, working for someone as influential as Sterling, the stupid stars she’d had in her eyes for him.

I was such an idiot.

There was a knock. So help her, if it was Sterling . . .

She squared her shoulders and pulled open the door. It was Conall. Of course it was.