Showdown: Tech Billionaires

by Ainsley St Claire

  Contrition? For being bullied? No way did Katrina bully anyone. Who the fuck is this guy?

  “I’d like a copy of every text and email you believe she’s responsible for.”

  “It’s not just text and emails,” he says. “She’s sent messages on PeopleMover.”

  “She doesn’t have a PeopleMover page,” I say. My blood is boiling. I’m ready to go with Lilly’s recommendation of turning everything over to the authorities.

  “Look, our attorneys have advised us not to engage with you until Katrina is ready to return. Think about how Katrina can apologize to Jennifer and several of her friends. Then we can figure out if Katrina belongs here at our school,” he says.

  “You do realize your threats mean nothing to me,” I tell him.

  “I see where she gets her rage from,” he snarks. “I’d hate to have to call Child Protective Services to question your parenting.”

  “Again, your threats don’t mean anything to me. Do so, if you feel you must, but please remember, I have a host of attorneys who will sue you for maligning Katrina’s and my name.”

  We disconnect the call, and before I go too crazy, I search for Katrina. She’s working away at her math—advanced geometry. That’s my daughter.

  “Katrina, can I speak with you a second?”

  “Sure.” She rises from her computer and follows me to the home office.

  “I just spoke with the headmaster at Stratton,” I say, trying hard not to jump right to my questions. “I shared with him that you’d received threatening text messages.”

  I can see tears in her eyes.

  “Do you have a PeopleMover page?”

  “No way. PeopleMover is for old people.”

  I chuckle. I’m friendly with Tom Sutterland, the company’s founder, and I’m sure he’d cringe at that comment.

  “How do you and your classmates communicate with one another?”

  “Text mostly, if we want to talk to people specifically, or if we want to send a message anyone can see, we use either ChatSnap or Insta.”

  “Have you been on any of those since you’ve been here?”

  She shakes her head. “You said anything I posted could be warped and used against mom’s case.”

  “What about the morning we left and you saw all the messages about Christina’s arrest. What did you say or do?”

  “I just read them; I didn’t respond. Why are you asking?”

  “The headmaster seems to think you’ve been bullying your classmates, particularly Jenny, through your PeopleMover page.”

  She stands straight. “That’s not me. I swear.”

  “I believe you. I’m going to have Uncle Jim check into it.”

  She nods, and again I see tears threatening. Lilly walks in and leads her out with an arm around her. My heart aches at the way she’s being treated. I pull her in and embrace her and she relaxes into me.

  I call Jim back. If anyone can get to the bottom of this, he certainly can.

  “How did the call go?” he asks.

  “Not as I expected, that’s for sure. The headmaster accused Katrina of bullying and threatened her with expulsion. He actually said she needed to show contrition.”

  Jim chuckles. “Are you serious?”

  “Very.” I look up to make sure no one’s close enough to hear me. “He says she’s been on a PeopleMover page threatening Jennifer Daniels, Christina’s daughter.”

  “Does she have a PeopleMover page?”

  “No. In fact, don’t tell Tom Sutterland, but she said PeopleMover was for old people.”

  Jim laughs out loud. Tom is also one of his clients.

  I begin pacing back and forth.

  I can hear Jim typing on a computer. “I just asked Gage to join us.”

  I’ve been so focused on me and my family, it dawns on me that I don’t know what’s going on with him and his wife. “How is Kate doing?”

  “We wanted to tell you in person, but with everything going on, it’s been too crazy. Kate’s sixteen-weeks pregnant—and it’s twins.”

  I laugh deep and loud. “Congratulations! That is fantastic news. Damn, I can’t wait to see you as a parent.”

  “I’m thinking I need to get away for few days. Kate’s pretty tired, and I think she’d like a break from me.”

  “Hmmm… Who really needs the break? You or her? You can get some sleep on a business trip, but once the twins are born, things will be much worse.”

  Jim sighs. “It’s the morning sickness that’s killing me—and it’s not just morning. She’s sick all times of the day. She doesn’t admit it, but she must be miserable. The doctors are watching to make sure she’s getting enough nutrients.”

  I sit down in my chair and stare out at the view of the village. “You’re welcome to come, but whatever you do, make sure Kate doesn’t think I’ve asked you to come. She’ll hunt me down with a sharp blade.”

  He snorts into the phone. “You’re right. She would.”

  “Oh, before I forget. What did you learn about the messages and pictures on Katrina’s phone?”

  “Hang on. Gage just walked in. It’s his team that’s been working on it.”

  Great. He wants someone else to be the fall guy on this.

  “Hey, Nate. How’s it going?” Gage says.

  “Not bad. How’s Stella feeling?” Stella is his fiancée and mother of his three girls with a fourth baby on the way. They’re hoping for a boy, but regardless, everyone has been told this will be Gage and Stella’s last child.

  “She’s in the countdown stage. Less than two months to go. The girls were all early, so we’re prepared.”

  “Listen, I wanted to check in about the messages and pictures on Katrina’s phone.”

  “I can send you the list of senders on the messages. Obviously they’re attached to parents or companies and not the kids themselves.”

  “Makes sense. Katrina’s phone is billed through our family plan at Lancaster Holdings.”

  “We found four photos sent from Charles Daniels’ account—Christina’s ex-husband. They seem to be photoshopped, and we’re working on where they originated.”

  “How do you figure that out?”

  “There’s some encryption left behind each time a person forwards the picture.”

  “Okay. Can we verify that all the pictures are fake?”

  “Absolutely. When we put them under scrutiny, you can tell the shadows don’t match, and in a few cases the connection points aren’t precise.”

  “I’ll let Katrina know. She’s been really worried they would upset me.”

  “They upset me,” Jim says. “These weren’t done by a high school kid; they were done by a pro.”

  I let out a rush of air. “This is going to get really ugly.”

  “Yes, I’m afraid so,” Gage confirms.

  “I spoke with Katrina’s school today. They’re talking about expelling her for sending bullying messages to Jennifer Daniels following her mother’s arrest. Any chance you can look into those? He said they were done through a PeopleMover account, but Katrina swears she doesn’t have one, and I believe her.”

  Gage clicks a few buttons. “There’s one with her name on it that has over four hundred friends.”

  “What?”

  “Hold on. We have a way to get in the back door. I’ll look at the details of the account.” He’s quiet as he clicks a few buttons. “It seems the account was set up at the Petrov household in Milpitas. The account has never been accessed from your home wi-fi, but the school wi-fi has accessed it… But looks like that was after you left for Canada. These kids think they’re so smart.”

  “Can you send me that information?” I ask.

  “Sure. There’s a Petrov who’s also behind many of the text messages sent to Katrina.”

  “I’d like those, too.”

  “They’re coming to your email now. Anything else?”

  “Let me know what you find out about the origination on the photos.”

  “N
o problem.”

  “Thanks, Gage. Jim, do you have another minute?”

  I hear the door shut. “What are you thinking?” Jim asks.

  “I think we need to see if Walker is available to talk.”

  Jim agrees and puts me on hold a moment while he reaches out to Walker. Before I know it, the three of us are on the line together.

  I take Walker through all the information. “The school is threatening expulsion, though honestly, I’m not sure I want her to go back. I’d like to have the headmaster fired for allowing this to happen under his nose. Anyway. I’m hiring an online tutor to finish the girls’ school year, and I could care less about the school itself. But I also don’t want this on Katrina’s record or for her to think we run from our problems.”

  “Petrov, huh? That adds a new dimension,” Walker says. “He may just have a bitchy daughter, or it may go deeper than this. I’ll get some of my investigators on this. Let’s touch base once I have more information. Do you mind if I pull Marci in?”

  “Not at all,” I tell him.

  We finish our call, and I feel better, but I still wish there was more I could do right away. I have so much energy right now. I walk to the kitchen to see how Lilly is doing, and she’s helping prepare lunch for the girls.

  “Do you have a minute?” I ask her.

  “Of course,” she says. She washes her hands before coming to me.

  “What are you and the girls doing this afternoon?”

  “Reading, probably playing a few games of cards, and watching a movie.”

  “Do the girls need you to do that with them?”

  She shakes her head. “What can I do?”

  “You can come for me a few times,” I growl.

  Her eyes spark. “Sounds like a fun afternoon.”

  I open the Fairmont app on my phone and bring up the hotel. Thankfully it happens to be just up the street.

  “I have a reservation at the Fairmont,” I tell Lilly after a moment. “I’ll leave now. Get the girls settled with their lunch and come on over. Text me when you’re on your way, and I’ll give you the room number.”

  “Okay. I can’t wait.” She winks at me, and my dick is impossibly hard already.

  Chapter 17

  Lilly

  A little while later, the girls are sitting at the dining room table enjoying Amy’s gourmet-quality sandwiches for lunch. She doesn’t do anything halfway.

  “Katrina, I need to do an errand for your dad this afternoon. Rod is here. Do you think you and Bex could manage on your own?”

  “What do you need to do?”

  I don’t want to lie to her, but I’m not about to tell her I’m meeting her father for some private time. “It doesn’t have anything to do with your messages.”

  Her shoulders relax. “He asked me earlier if I had a PeopleMover page. I promise you, I don’t.”

  I squeeze her shoulder. “Katrina, your dad and I both believe you.”

  “Thank you. I’ll hang out with Bex. Maybe I’ll even watch Frozen for the millionth time.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate it, and I know your dad appreciates it, too.”

  I quickly brush my hair and my teeth and then begin the ten-minute walk to the Fairmont.

  I text Nate.

  Me: I’m here.

  Nate: Room 625.

  I practically run to the elevator. Inside, I tap my foot, willing it to go faster. We don’t have a ton of time before one of us needs to return home. I slip my coat from my shoulders and hold it over my trembling hands. Of course, the elevator stops at the third floor and a member of housekeeping steps in. She smiles widely and gets off at the fourth floor. I internally groan.

  When the elevator finally arrives on the sixth floor, I step out and scan the walls to see which way to go. It’s easy to figure out where the room is once I see Charlie. I try not to run, but I do walk quickly.

  When I arrive, I take a big breath to calm my nerves. “Charlie.”

  He nods. “Ms. Lilly.”

  I blush from my toes to my nose as I knock on the door. Charlie knows why I’m here, but I’m still a private person. I know they’re under strict confidentiality agreements, but ultimately, I’m not ready to announce to the world that I enjoy having sex with my boss.

  Nate opens the door, and I catch my breath. I’ve wanted this every day since we were last together. He’s so handsome standing in his dark T-shirt and tight jeans with bare feet. He steps aside to let me in, and my chest heaves as he pulls me against him and tilts my chin up to receive his kiss.

  His warm lips devour mine as I open my mouth and wrap my arms around his neck. Our kiss is deep and passionate, and his hands explore my body, finally gripping my hips to pull me tight against him. I drop my coat to the floor as he pushes into me, doing nothing to conceal his growing desire.

  His hands find their way under my sweater, and within moments he’s helping me out of it. He pulls away long enough to remove his T-shirt while I wrestle with my bra. I slip my boots and socks off before I unbutton my jeans and push them down with my panties while he strips naked.

  One look at his hard chest and semi-erect cock and I’m ready.

  As soon as we’re free from our clothes, we reach for each other again. My breasts press against his chest as I run my hands through his hair and nip at his throat. He grabs my ass and squeezes as he lifts me off the ground. I wrap my legs around his waist, feeling his erection pressing into my center, all the way up to my belly button. I move against his body, grinding against his cock, and moan.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” he growls.

  He moves farther into the room, and I feel cool sheets against my bare back. His lips trail over my cheek to find the sensitive spot below my left ear where he sucks gently. My pussy throbs in a delightful pain, and I moan again, reaching between us to run my hand down the length of his cock. It feels huge.

  “How do you want it?” he asks.

  “I—” I can’t string any words together that make sense. He’s touching me everywhere at once, and I want more.

  As his tongue caresses my nipples, my fingers brush the thick head of his cock. He oozes pre-cum, and I wet my fingers in the slickness, grazing them around the head.

  “I want you,” I gasp.

  Now it’s his turn to moan, and our eyes lock as I slide my hand slowly up and down his length. I drop to my knees and worship my favorite toy. I lick his balls and suck them hard, because I know how much he enjoys that, before running my lips around the tip of his head.

  “That feels so good,” he groans.

  I take him into my mouth, and my cheeks hollow as I suck and massage him with my tongue. I look up to find him watching me, and as our eyes meet, he thrusts forward, grabbing my hair, and I feel him hit the back of my mouth. I pull back, take a deep breath, and go in for more, taking him as far as I can and placing one hand around the base of his dick.

  “Ohhhh, Goooood,” he grunts.

  My other hand finds his balls again, rolling them aggressively with my fingertips. I continue my massage. I’m soaked in wetness, and I can’t wait to feel him inside me.

  After another minute of sucking, I lean back and open my legs for him.

  “Damn, you’re beautiful.” He pinches my clit before inserting two fingers inside me. “And you’re so wet. I love how sucking my cock gets you excited.”

  His eyes drink me in. Straddling him, I lower myself down. As his cock brushes my folds, his hands wrap around my back and pull me toward him for a kiss. Feeling his erection pressing into me, I kiss him deeply and move back and forth, feeling him rub over my clit, which sends waves of pleasure through my body. I moan and finally reach down to guide him inside me.

  “Nate,” I breathe as I stretch to accommodate him, trying to fit his full length. I moan as he fills me completely and begin grinding against him as he thrusts. I press my body against his, nuzzling my face into his neck and kissing, sucking, biting, as his strong hands hold me tight.

&nbs
p; I dig my fingers into his back as the pressure inside me explodes into a massive orgasm. I cry out as I continue to ride him, not caring if the entire world can hear me. My body bucks as I lose control, and as my orgasm ends, I tremble and shake with pleasure. I gasp as I collapse against him, and he holds me close.

  He allows me a minute to recover, then he lifts me off of him, laying me on the bed. He bites at my nipples and sucks underneath each breast before sliding inside me again, and I lift my legs over his shoulders.

  My next orgasm immediately begins to build. Every thrust hits deep inside of me. I close my eyes and see bursts of light on my eyelids. “Please don’t stop,” I groan as he keeps a steady rhythm, grunting with each thrust. As he lets go with his own release, throbbing and pulsing deep inside me, I come again. He groans and pushes deeper still as my body tightens around him, our simultaneous orgasms intensifying each other.

  Finally, we lie together, spent. His body covers mine as my shaking legs slide from his shoulders. He holds himself over me, his weight resting on his elbows as he kisses me softly.

  “Thank you,” I murmur. I run my fingers through his hair, kissing him back.

  He pulls back and smiles down at me. “We need to do this more often,” he chuckles.

  I snuggle into the crook of his arm and rest my head on his chest. “I’m all for that.”

  “Thank you for taking care of us,” he says after a moment. “You give each of us exactly what we need.”

  I guess there is some truth to that. “I try not to put pressure on anyone.”

  “Are we taking care of you?” Nate asks.

  I’m not ready to tell him what occupies my time when I’m not with him or the girls, but I do feel like I have a family for the first time since my mom got sick. I push up and kiss him softly on his lips. “I feel well taken care of. Promise.”

  We enjoy another round before I get up and take a shower to wash our afternoon away.

  “I hope you don’t mind the small room,” Nate calls from the king-sized bed.

  I look at him through the foggy glass. “I don’t care about the size of the room; I just want to be with you. I’m grateful that your money allowed us to get out of town without issue and below the radar, but I don’t care about your money. If you want me to sign something so you don’t have to worry about me suing you or anything, I’ll do that. Have your lawyers write it up.”