Hate to Love You Strong Brothers #4)

by Ajme Williams

  He had to be kidding me. I had an interest in the company that I controlled since I turned twenty-one. While I’d never intended to work for the company, I wasn’t going to sell my share, and if I did, it would be to my family.

  “Sabotaging a company isn’t the best way to negotiate a business deal,” I said. “I’m certainly not going to do business or trust someone who’d resort to those tactics.”

  He sighed. “Such a shame.”

  I stood. “I’ll see you in court.”

  He nodded. “Of course. I hope you’ll be good to Andi.”

  My brows furrowed. What the fuck? “You don’t need to worry about her.”

  He looked at his watch. “I’m sorry, but I have another date.”

  “No problem. I’m done with you anyway.” I left his office. On my way out of the building, I called my grandmother, even though it was late in San Diego. She was able to conference us in the call with my brothers as well. I told them what we’d found and what Chen had said.

  “I’ll call the lawyers,” Ryan said.

  “How did he breach the system?” Carter asked.

  “We know the hack came from here, but we haven’t located the malware source. We’re working on that. I’ve already called the IT people there to review docs sent to the main office and we’re searching here.”

  “Are you saying one of us opened the door to that bastard?” Hunter asked.

  “It’s possible. It could be that Chen has someone on the inside as well. That part we haven’t figured out yet,” I said.

  “Does Phil know?” Margaret asked.

  “Not yet. I’m on my way back there now.”

  “Good work, Noah,” Gran said. “I knew I could trust you.”

  I hung up the phone. For a moment I stood in the street, wondering about the feeling in my chest at my grandmother’s statement. I shook it off because I had things to do, the first of which was to call Phil.

  22

  Andi

  With Noah out of the office, I could follow through on my idea to see Marcus to determine if he was the one behind the hack. I didn’t feel right about going behind Noah’s back, but I reminded myself that I worked for Margaret, not him.

  So as not to cause any suspicion, I worked for a bit longer, and then told Phil I was going back to work in my room at the hotel. When I arrived back at the hotel, I crossed my fingers I wouldn’t run into Noah. Luckily, I didn’t.

  Back at my room, I called Marcus about seeing more of Hong Kong.

  “I’m so glad to hear from you, Andi. However, I’ve been warned, in no uncertain terms, to stay away from you.”

  I frowned. Had Noah contacted him? If so, when?

  It didn’t matter. I had a job to do.

  “Noah isn’t the boss of me. Besides, you said you’d show me more of Hong Kong.”

  “I like that about you, Andi. You go after what you want. I’ll be there in an hour. We’ll have dinner.”

  Yes! “That sounds lovely.” I hung up the phone and went to dress for dinner. I’d never done any spying in my life, but more than concerned about that, I felt guilty for deceiving Noah. With that said, I felt I owed it to Margaret. She’d given me such an opportunity when she’d hired me. I’d learned so much, and been given so much, I wanted to make her and the rest of the Strongs proud. Noah would be pissed, but hopefully he’d come around.

  I headed down to the lobby, again hoping I didn’t run into Noah. I couldn’t decide what excuse to give him for being incognito, so I opted to ignore my phone which was tucked safely into the recesses of my purse.

  “You look lovely as always, Andi,” Marcus said, giving me a kiss on the cheek. “I’ve planned a dinner on my junk in the harbor.”

  “Junk?”

  He laughed at my expression. “It’s a boat. A junk.”

  “Oh, right. That sounds wonderful.”

  The junk had a design that made it look like it was out of history, but it was polished and clean with large bright orange sails. Out in the harbor, we could see the city all lit up. It was beautiful and romantic, and I wished Noah was there. How odd that in such a short time, I’d gone from disdaining him to wanting to be with him. Well, maybe not a short time. I’d been into him the moment he pulled up on his motorcycle years ago, but had been hurt when he’d shunned me after that. Now I knew why.

  “Are you alright?” Marcus said, handing me a glass of wine.

  “Oh. Yes. Just thinking about work,” I said.

  He led me to a beautiful set table with the view of the city. “Worried what Noah will think of you here with me?”

  Sort of. “I don’t know why he’d be concerned.”

  “I got the feeling Noah felt possessive of you,” he said, his dark eyes watching me across the table.

  I tried not to shift under the intensity of his gaze. “Noah doesn’t own me. I work for him and his family, but that doesn’t mean they dictate every aspect of my life.”

  He smiled. “I’m glad to hear that. It’s important to be in charge of one’s own life. One’s own destiny, don’t you think?”

  “Yes. I’ve always charted my own path.”

  A man served us our plates of food.

  When he left, Marcus said, “You know, I need clever people like you working for me. I wonder if you’d be interested.”

  I frowned. Here I thought he was attracted to me but instead he was poaching me from the Strongs. Still, this could be part of some nefarious plan. “Would I get benefits and a raise?”

  He laughed. “Absolutely.”

  “What would I be doing?” I sipped my wine hoping I looked intrigued by his proposition.

  “Assistant to the CEO. Same position you have now.”

  “Your assistant?” I asked.

  He reached over and took my hand. “For now. We wouldn’t have a non fraternization rule so maybe there would be more.”

  He wanted an assistant and a mistress, apparently. In some ways, that’s what Noah had asked for, except somehow it was different. Marcus’ offer felt gross, while Noah’s offer…well, I’d jumped him because his offer excited me.

  “I’d have to think about it,” I said.

  “Which?”

  I laughed even though inside I was squirming. “Both. I couldn’t abandon my job now, not while there was someone trying to sabotage their expansion here.” I was glad I was given a fork as I wasn’t sure how’d I manage this lovely looking dinner with chopsticks.

  “You’re dedicated to your boss. I like that. It reassures me that I’ve made the right choice in trying to hire you away.”

  “Thank you.”

  He sat back and studied me for a moment. “Why are you so sure this hack is from outside the company?”

  I swallowed my nerves. This was the topic I needed to cover with him, but I was afraid he’d find me out. “Noah located the origin.” I realized I needed to be careful about how much I told Marcus.

  “I see,” he said in a way that sounded like he knew something I didn’t.

  “What?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “I don’t really want to get involved in family-business intrigue or espionage.”

  That sounded ominous. “What do you mean?”

  He sighed and leaned forward almost like he was telling me a secret. “Noah came to see me today. He said something about working with him.”

  “You already work with us,” I said, wondering why Noah lied about going back to the hotel that afternoon.

  He cocked his head to the side. “I work with Strong Incorporated. Noah isn’t a part of that.”

  He wasn’t making any sense.

  He took my hand again. “I know you’re fond of the Strong family, and maybe even Noah too, but remember when I said revenge is a motive for this type of business sabotage?”

  I nodded, getting a sick feeling in my gut.

  “I hate to say this, Andi, but Noah is your hacker.”

  “No.” There’s no way that could be true. “He’s here to find the hacker.�
��

  Marcus looked at me with pity. “I know it’s hard. But think about it. Noah is the black sheep of the family. Never taken seriously. Even when he tries to prove himself on his own, the family just wants to shut him up in a tech dungeon in the Strong business.”

  That wasn’t right. Sure, they wanted Noah on board, but not to hide him away.

  “So, he decides to take matters into his own hands.”

  “That still doesn’t explain why he’d hack his family’s company. What’s in it for him?” This was crazy.

  Marcus gave me another one of those sympathetic smiles. “He’d be able to take over the company. At least that’s how he explained it. With my help, we could get control of the company. It’s an intriguing offer. I’m surprised he hasn’t confided in you seeing that he seems so attracted to you. Then again, he probably knows how close you are to his grandmother.”

  It was odd just how much Marcus seemed to know about the relationships in the family. But what was more disconcerting was the idea that Noah was behind the hack and had gone to Marcus for help in a takeover.

  That couldn’t be true. It just couldn’t

  Marcus sighed as he poured me more wine. “I can see that you don’t believe me. I have no reason to lie.”

  “I don’t know that,” I said.

  He smiled. “I suppose you’re right. Well, consider this; hasn’t Noah determined that someone at Strong Incorporated launched the malware that allowed for the hack?”

  I nodded.

  “And how sure are you that the hack came from Hong Kong. Someone like Noah would be able to fake that.”

  I felt sick to my stomach.

  “And then there’s the fact that he’s here. Everyone knows that Noah has no interest in the family business and yet he agreed to come. Oh, I’m sure he put up a little bit of a fight, but he still came. What better way to cover up one’s own tracks than to be the one to investigate it?” Marcus leaned forward. “I bet he hasn’t been able to figure out what document or email was the source of the malware.”

  I gave a little nod.

  “Do you really believe that? Noah is very good at what he does. How can he find a hack outside the system but not the breach inside the system?”

  Oh God. Could he be right?

  “You look a little pale. Are you alright?”

  I nodded. “I think I might be a little seasick,” I said to explain the nausea I was feeling.

  “Let me take you back to shore,” he said waving a hand to someone standing off to the side.

  “Yes, I think I’d like to go home.”

  “Of course. I’m so sorry Andi. I didn’t know if I should say anything, but I know you’re a woman of strong morals and conviction.”

  Absently, I nodded.

  Marcus escorted me back to the hotel. He offered to take me to my room, but I told him I’d be fine. Besides, I had to talk to Noah.

  Before I went to confront Noah, I called Margaret. I couldn’t come right out and accuse Noah, but she had to know what Marcus had said.

  “It’s four in the morning here, Andi, I hope this is important,” Margaret said when she answered.

  Dammit, I’d forgotten to consider the time change. Still, this was important. “I just met with Marcus Chen and he said some things to me that were very concerning.”

  “Oh? What does Noah think?”

  “I haven’t told him yet. It has to do with him.” I bit my lip as I leaned against the wall in a quiet corner of the hotel.

  There was a pause. “What did he say?”

  “He said Noah came to him today and asked his help in a takeover of Strong Incorporated. He said Noah was the source of the hack.”

  “I know you don’t believe that,” she said harshly. “You’re not calling me at four in the morning to accuse my grandson of trying to take over my company.”

  I swallowed. “No,” I said, knowing that wasn’t completely true. “I just…It seemed like something you should know.”

  “I understand why Noah was so suspicious of Chen. You need to talk to Noah.”

  “Yes. I was just on my way to see him,” I said.

  “Call me after you and Noah talk.”

  I hung up feeling more confused than ever. Of course, she wouldn’t believe it because Noah was her grandson.

  I took the elevator to the suite and knocked on Noah’s door, everything Marcus said swirling in my brain.

  The door jerked open. “Where the fuck have you been?” Noah growled at me. “I’ve been trying to reach you for hours.” His gaze swept over my dress. “You’ve been with Chen.”

  “I told you I could find out what was going on. I learned some interesting things.”

  The door swung open and he let me in. “I’m dying to hear it.”

  I had some grief over losing the connection we’d had earlier, as it was clear we were back to fighting. I couldn’t help but wonder if his anger at me seeing Marcus was a fear of finding out he was the hacker. I still wasn’t convinced of that, and yet, there were all sorts of clues to suggest he could be. Marcus was right in that Noah didn’t put up too much fight in coming here. He was also resistant to my seeing Marcus, which could mean he was trying to keep me from finding him out. Is that why he slept with me? To distract me?

  God, I didn’t know what to think.

  “Chen told me the name of the hacker,” I said. I decided I’d be direct and watch Noah’s expression.

  “Did he confess?”

  I shook my head. “He said it was you.”

  Noah watched me for a moment. Then his eyes narrowed. “And you believe him.” Noah’s anger I could take. But the pain that followed told me I was making a big mistake. But there was too much on the line not to follow this path.

  23

  Noah

  It wasn’t that Chen would accuse me of betraying my family or that Andi would repeat his sentiment that had me caught in the clutches of shock. It was that Andi believed it. Or at least was considering it.

  Here I’d been doing my damnedest to show her I wasn’t always an asshole, and she was off with Chen again and now accusing me of sabotaging my family’s company.

  “What the fuck, Andi.” I could barely breathe. Had I misjudged her all this time? The angel I’d picked up on the motorcycle years ago…where was she? Had I projected her on to Andi all these years. Had I been lying to myself?

  She bit her lip, as if unsure. But that wasn’t enough. She might not believe Chen, but she definitely believed I was capable of such betrayal and that was like a sucker punch in my gut.

  “What he said made some sense.”

  I actually staggered back. “I can’t believe you’d say that.” I turned away going to the bar for a drink. How had I thought I was falling for this woman?

  “I didn’t say I believed him,” her voice wavered, but it was too late. I knew how little she thought of me.

  “The fact that you’d even consider what he said…” I downed a drink swallowing my words. “After today. After what I said to you. After making love…and you still go to him…listen to his bullshit.” Anger flared and I threw my glass across the room. It hit the wall, shattering into a million pieces. Sort of like my heart.

  She didn’t say anything.

  “Did you call Gran?” I asked her.

  “Yes.”

  I didn’t think I could hurt anymore than I did, but in that moment, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. “The fact that you’re not fired for accusing me of hurting her company suggests that she must believe you too.”

  Maybe my mistake was in trying to forge my own path. In doing so, in the way I did it, I’d made it so my own grandmother didn’t trust me.

  “No. She’s suspicious of Chen. Like you are.”

  “But not you.” I sat down, feeling so fucking tired.

  “He said you’re too good to not have found the entryway that let the hacker in. He knew you didn’t want to be in the business, and yet here you were. He said you’re taking revenge for al
ways being dismissed.”

  I laughed because I didn’t know what else to do. “I guess he’s got it all figured out.” I was glad I brought the bottle of scotch with me so I didn’t have to get up to pour more. In fact, I drank straight from the bottle.

  “You’re not going to respond?” she asked.

  “Why? What could I possibly say that would change your mind?”

  “The truth?”

  I shrugged. “If you think I’m a man that would do what you just accused me of, then how could you possibly believe me?”

  “I want to hear what you have to say.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t owe you anything.”

  My phone rang. It was a video call from my grandmother. “I wonder what she’ll say.” I picked up the phone. “Gran.”

  “I’ve got your brothers on the call with me. What’s going on there? Have you spoken to Andi?”

  “Oh yeah, I’ve spoken to her,” I said, giving her a cutting glare.

  “Are you drinking?” Ryan asked.

  I set the bottle aside. “It’s nearly nine at night. Having a drink isn’t a crime.”

  “Is something wrong?” Carter asked.

  I had to get my shit together. “Chen is behind the hack.” I looked at Andi again to see how she’d respond. Would she still believe him over me? “I went to see him and basically admitted it.”

  She flinched.

  “What did he say?” Gran asked.

  “He wanted to buy my share of the company and then said we could go into business together,” I said.

  “He’s not as smart as we thought he was if he thought you’d betray us like that,” Carter said.

  His words were the first balm on an open wound I’d had since Andi walked in.

  “I should have vetted him better,” Carter finished.

  “He’s slick,” I said. “He can convince anyone of anything,” I said, feeling somewhat triumphant when Andi turned away. I wanted to believe she felt shame.

  “What’s his deal though? What does he get?” Hunter asked.

  “There has been some devaluation of the company's worth,” Ryan said. “I contacted the lawyers earlier about getting out of the contract after our last call.”