Page 233 of The Rebel Billionaire

“She didn’t want you to think she’d come to work for you as a way of getting into the industry. I told her it was a mistake, but… fuck, Alex. I never expected you’d think Brooke was the leak. If I had…” She drops her chin to her chest before raising her gaze to mine. “Alex, the girl has raw talent. I showed you those designs because I hoped it would spur her into telling you once I told her how good you thought they were, but I never got the chance.”

I drop my head forward and close my eyes.

“How did you have her designs, the ones you showed me?”

“As part of the assignment I set for my module, I asked her to complete our internship brief. She did, and with flying colours, I might add.”

My chest swells. Typical Brooke. She does nothing by half, whether she’s working in the office or living her private life.

“If Brooke is not the leak, who the fuck is?” I say, my stomach churning. “We’re back to square one.”

The thought sends a chill through me.

Elise’s eyes drop, and she nods.

“That’s why I came up here. I set a trap using Brooke’s designs before I left for Paris. It’s been sprung.” Her eyes meet mine, and I’m shocked by the devastation I see there. She swallows. “I used Kris’s list of staff who had viewed the previously stolen files, the one his team collated. I didn’t think…”

“But I didn’t think it showed anything,” I say.

“Neither did I, but then…”

“Who, Elise?”

“Nolan.”

I rock back in my chair and stare at her.

“What? Are you sure? He’s recently been promoted to your second-in-command. He’s been with us forever.”

She shakes her head, her lip quivering. Betrayal is hard, especially when trust has been destroyed.

“Nothing in his file raised any red flags, but I don’t know. I kept thinking back to a few things he’s said, especially when his designs had failed to make the final selection. Then he excused himself from our Italy trip in December. When I asked him how his sick family member was, it was as if he didn’t know what I was talking about and then quickly brushed it off.”

“You set him up?”

“I did.” She bites her bottom lip. “The trap I set, with the help of Kris, meant Nolan was the only person privy to Brooke’s designs besides me, and now you.”

“You’re sure?”

“Nolan was the only one who accessed the files, as Kris’s team and my own checks have now confirmed.” She pauses.

There’s a knock.

“Come in,” I say, my voice sounding tired.

“Alex?” Sue appears. “Ah, Elise, there you are. I got your message.”

“Come in, Sue,” I say. “It looks like we have uncovered our mole.”

* * *

Seven hours later, the board members convene in my office, and the authorities arrest Nolan Banks on suspicion of corporate espionage.

“Job well done,” Dom says as we’re about to leave the room.

“Thank you, Dom,” I say, forcing a smile, although my gut is still clenched tight.

I tried to call Brooke earlier, but her phone is off, or she’s simply not answering. Not that I blame her.