My Antisocial Billionaire: A Clean Billionaire Romance (My Billionaire A-Z Book 1)

by Katie Evergreen

  “Well, thank goodness for that,” he said. “You don’t know how relieved I am. All this time I’ve been hanging around you because I was worried that you were losing your mind. I was worried that you were going insane. And I think you are. But now I don’t have to worry any more, I don’t have to look after you. I’m free.”

  He folded his arms over his chest and made no sign of moving.

  “Go on then,” said Ellie. “Go be free. Get out of here.”

  “If I leave, I’m never coming back,” he said. It was a threat, but to Ellie it sounded like the most wonderful promise in the world. She didn’t reply, and she didn’t break eye contact. After a few more seconds he stamped his foot like a toddler, then wheeled around and strode toward the door.

  “You’ll regret this,” he shouted over his shoulder. “And I won’t.”

  Only when the door had slammed shut behind him did Ellie let herself smile. It spread over her face like sunshine, impossible to stop. Had she really done that? Had those words really just come out of her mouth? It felt like a dream. Ellie Mae Woodward just wasn’t capable of standing up for herself like that. But somehow she had done it, she had finally told Josh to leave her alone.

  Not somehow. It was Blake. He had infused her with courage, and with confidence. He had made her feel special, even though he’d told her they couldn’t be together. Or maybe it was because he had told her that. She hadn’t been something cheap, something he could use and throw away. She had been something valuable that he didn’t want to break.

  Whatever it was, he had shown her what she was worth. And what she was worth was way more than Josh Bigsby.

  Thank you, Blake, she said. Then the smile vanished from her face as she remembered what Josh had said about the news. On TV the feature had finished, so she dashed back into the bedroom and opened the News app on her cell phone. Three articles down was a post on Blake, and Ellie felt a rush of guilt as she noticed the photograph attached to the piece was him recoiling as the waitress poured the drink on his head. Thankfully Ellie had been cropped out of it. She clicked the link, clucking her tongue impatiently as she waited for it to load.

  Heartbook Press Conference Imminent; under fire CEO Fielding expected to address shareholders and users of the floundering Social Media giant.

  She scanned the article, shaking her head. It was full of the posts that somebody had made on Blake’s account, and laden with accusations against him. It was so unfair that even the press had decided on his guilt, and Ellie rested a finger against another photograph of him—this one taken at an IT conference, Blake beaming with happiness. She couldn’t imagine how hard it would be for him to step out in front of a group of people who had already made up their minds that he was a monster. And he would have to do it alone, too.

  No, he didn’t have to be alone. Ellie shrugged off her dressing gown and took a dress from her wardrobe. The press conference was scheduled for three, which gave her an hour. It would be tight, but she would be there. Even if he pushed her away again, she would be there. Even if it was so busy he never even saw her, she would be there for him.

  Blake had given her the strength to finally tell Josh how she felt.

  Now she would be there to give him strength too.

  Grabbing her handbag and her cell, she slipped on her shoes and ran for the door.

  19

  The board members filed into the room like it was a funeral procession, and Blake couldn’t help feeling like he was the guy in the coffin. He stood at the head of the table—a table that he himself had bought for the company when he’d made his first million—waiting for them to take their seats.

  Agnes was first, dressed all in black. She sat opposite Blake, shuffling her papers into a pile and sighing dramatically. Maurice groaned wearily as he descended into his chair, Mike dropping into his like it was a wrestling move. David came next, offering Blake a thumbs up and a reassuring nod. For a moment it looked as if Michelle wasn’t coming, and Blake prayed that she’d decided to run away rather than face him. Then she strolled past the window and through the door, smiling as if this was Christmas Day. She had the audacity to wink at Blake, and he had to look away to keep the rage from boiling over.

  “Good afternoon, everyone,” said Agnes. “Thank you very much for coming. Blake, how are you?”

  The question took Blake by surprise, and he cleared his throat.

  “Better now that I know who did this,” he said, glancing at Michelle. If she was worried, she wasn’t showing any sign of it. She was perfectly calm, her features icy. She drummed her long nails on the desk as if she was bored. “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to present my case.”

  “This meeting will give you the chance to do exactly that,” said Agnes. “But I should warn, you, Blake, we will be making a decision about your future in the next ten minutes. We are at a tipping point for Heartbook. If we do not act now, then everything is lost. We have a press conference scheduled for three sharp. We will either be telling them your story, or telling them that you’ve decided to leave the company.”

  “She means it,” said Mike, popping gum. “I’m not going to let you strip my bank account. My ex-wife does enough of that. Either you convince us, or you’re gone.”

  Blake felt a tremor of fear run through him. He was ten minutes away from losing everything that he had spent his life building.

  “Easy Mike,” said David, seeing the color drain from Blake’s face. “Let’s give Blake a chance to explain himself.”

  Mike threw his hands in the air dramatically. Maurice adjusted his glasses, then nodded at Blake.

  “Please, go ahead,” the old man said.

  Blake took a moment to compose himself. This was probably the most important speech he would ever have to make, and he couldn’t afford to mess it up. He looked each of the board members in the eye, ending with Michelle. She gave him another cold smile and he knew for sure that she was guilty.

  “I have proof that it wasn’t me who made those posts,” he said. Michelle scoffed, but the other board members studied him with grave expressions. “I had my own expert look into it, and he found that somebody else used my devices to upload the posts, setting them to private with the intention of activating them later on. This person wasn’t acting on behalf of the government, or another company, or another country. The person who did this is sitting in this very room.”

  Agnes gasped.

  “That is a very strong accusation,” she said. Blake nodded.

  “I know, Agnes. I’ve been facing the same accusations for two days now. But it’s the truth. If you look at the time stamps for each post you will see that they were written at a time when I was either away from my desk, or away from my cell phone. I haven’t had time to look at them all yet, but I can guarantee this. My expert—you all know him, Andrew Gatward—discovered one instance where a post was made and I was inside the hospital with him waiting for his wife to come out of surgery. There is no way I could have posted to Heartbook.”

  Maurice and Agnes shared a look. A flicker of concern passed over Michelle’s face, but only for an instant. David threw him another smile, urging him to go on.

  “You all knew my Heartbook security details, it was part of the deal we made. I had to be untouchable, so everyone here had the ability to log in to my account and vet it. But only one person was with me during work hours and home hours.”

  He looked at Michelle, and for once she didn’t meet his eye.

  “I spoke to Michelle earlier, and she all but admitted that it was her who hacked my account. This is her doing.”

  There was silence in the board room, other than the hammer blows of Blake’s pulse in his ears. He wasn’t sure how much later it was that Agnes spoke.

  “Michelle? This can’t be true.”

  Michelle looked at Blake, and he thought there might be tears in her eyes. The wave of relief that passed over him felt strong enough to knock him over. She was going to confess, it was going to be okay. Miche
lle turned to Agnes and clasped a hand over her mouth to contain the sobs that were spilling out of her.

  “Michelle?” said Maurice. “We need to hear your response immediately.”

  “I…” she started. “I don’t know what he’s talking about.”

  Blake slammed a hand on the table.

  “You admitted it,” he said.

  “I did no such thing,” she replied, smudging away the tears. “He’s lying. I know we were together for a while, and it didn’t end well, but I would never do that to anyone, even you, Blake, and I would never jeopardise a company that I love with all my heart. It’s financial suicide, it wouldn’t make any sense.”

  “It makes perfect sense,” Blake said. “You were always looking for a way to hurt me after I broke it off with you.”

  “You broke it off with me?” she said. To her credit, she could have been an Oscar-winning actor. “Another lie. I ended it with you because of your views on women, because of the way you treated me.”

  “That’s insane,” said Blake. “You’re insane.”

  “No, it’s true,” she said, throwing pleading looks to all of the board members. “You were horrible. In the public eye you were Mr Charming, but behind closed doors you thought women were inferior in every way. Your views made me sick.”

  “What?” Blake said. He couldn’t believe this was happening. He couldn’t believe she was doing this to him.

  “These posts were written when we were still together,” she said. “That’s proof enough that it wasn’t me.”

  “You planned it,” he said. “You started writing them knowing that one day I’d leave you.”

  Even as he said it he heard how crazy it sounded. Michelle was an expert, she’d planned this perfectly. But there was one thing she hadn’t planned on. Blake turned to David, his best friend and his right-hand man.

  “David, you were there, tell them.”

  “I was there,” David said. “I was there when Blake confronted Michelle earlier.”

  “And?” said Agnes.

  “And I totally agree,” David said. “Michelle is innocent.”

  It was as if the floor had opened up beneath his feet. Blake felt so dizzy he had to sit down, and even then the sense of vertigo was overwhelming. He looked at David, at the way his friend’s face was masked with sadness.

  “What?” he asked him in little more than a whisper.

  “I’m afraid there is no evidence to show that Michelle tampered with Blake’s account,” said David. “As she says, the posts were made when they were still together. Blake’s accusations don’t make any sense. And from my own research, the posts were made when Blake did have access to his devices.”

  “David, why are you saying this?” Blake asked, but it was as if he had lost his voice.

  “As for the claim that he was in the hospital without his cell phone, that is a lie,” David went on. “I remember that occasion well. Blake called me from a hospital phone after he arrived and asked me to bring it over so that he could work while they were waiting for news.”

  David turned to Blake and sighed dramatically.

  “I can’t cover for you anymore,” he said. “I’ve put up with it for too long. Michelle is right, Blake has always been a chauvinist of the very worst kind. Even when we were at university his abhorrent views disgusted me. I’ve kept it a secret because we were friends, but I just can’t go on. Blake, it’s time for you to leave.”

  Blake opened his mouth to reply, but what good would it have done? Michelle and David were working together, and Blake understood that this wasn’t just a random hack, or a revenge plan. It was a coup. They were trying to take over his company.

  And they had won.

  “Is there anything you want to say?” Agnes asked, a look of disgust on her wrinkled face. They were all staring at him with the same expression, and it broke his heart to see it.

  “These are lies,” Blake said. “I’m innocent. But I don’t have any way to prove it.”

  “Then you leave us no choice,” said Maurice. “I hereby call a vote to terminate Blake Fielding’s contract with Heartbook PLC, to strip him of his rights as a board member, to begin efforts to reclaim his shares in the company, and to permanently ban him from the network. Please raise your hand if you agree.”

  Agnes hesitated, and Blake loved her for it. But eventually her shaking hand rose. Even Mike didn’t seem too keen to swing the axe for the executioner’s blow. This was a huge moment, they were about to assassinate the king. There was no going back. All the same, after a few seconds his hand shot up.

  “I’m going to abstain,” said David. “Out of respect for our friendship.”

  David’s hypocrisy lit a fire of rage inside Blake but he stamped down on it. One more vote and he was out, and it didn’t take a genius to know where it would come from.

  “I agree,” said Michelle, and even though Blake couldn’t bear to look at her he could hear the smile in her voice. “He needs to go.”

  “Then we have it,” said Maurice. “The motion is passed. Blake, for the record, I am truly sorry that your behaviour has led to this. Your mother would be ashamed. You will address the press conference now, and then you will be escorted from the site. I hereby formally terminate your contract with Heartbook.”

  Blake watched them stand up and drift out of the room.

  “Be outside the main doors in five minutes, please,” said Agnes. “We expect you to tell the truth, Blake. Only this will save the company. Think of the jobs that will go, think of the people who will suffer if you continue to deny your actions. Tell the people the truth, and you won’t bring us all down with you. Do the right thing, Blake.”

  She left, and only David and Michelle remained.

  “This isn’t over,” Blake said.

  They both smiled at Blake, then kissed each other on the lips. He knew he shouldn’t have been surprised, but he was.

  “Oh, but it is,” Michelle said. “You’re over.”

  They walked out, the door swinging shut behind them and plunging Blake into a silence worthy of the grave.

  20

  Ellie threw a twenty-dollar bill at the driver and opened the cab door. There were so many people on the sidewalk that she could barely climb out. Most were reporters carrying bags and cameras, but there were plenty of spectators there too. Some were holding signs that read things like Bye Bye Blake! and Feminists Against Fielding! The atmosphere felt intimidating, almost hostile, and once again she found herself worrying about Blake. He was going to have to stand up in front of everybody here and speak to them, and she had no idea what he was going to say.

  He was going to protest his innocence, of course. Ellie had no doubt about that. But what if nobody believed him?

  She pushed into the crowd, bags thumping into her as people tried to barge past. The big gates that led into the Heartbook campus were open, a single old security guard trying and failing to control the crowds as they flowed inside. Ellie huddled next to a TV news crew as they bottlenecked through the gate, following the flow of people down the path toward the main building. It seemed impossible that only yesterday she had been sitting inside reception waiting for a job interview. And it seemed impossible that such a short time ago she hadn’t even met Blake. How could a life change so suddenly in such a short space of time?

  The closer she got to the building, the more she could see. Outside the doors was a small raised stage, a lectern sitting there with a microphone perched on top. All Ellie wanted to do was run up to it and scream that Blake was innocent, that he was the nicest guy she’d ever met and that the world would see this if they just gave him a chance. But of course she didn’t. Instead she pushed and shoved her way as close to the front of the crowd as she was able.

  She checked her cell. Seven minutes until three. There was no sign of Blake anywhere through the big glass windows, just a wall of security guards. The crowd spoke in hushed whispers, the constant click of camera shutters sounding like rain. Several
of the reporters were broadcasting live, one hand pressed to their ear as they spoke about “this day of judgement.” The crush of the crowd and the relentless noise made Ellie feel like she was drowning but she held her ground. She wouldn’t leave Blake to do this alone.

  “Look!” somebody yelled.

  Ellie did, squinting through the windows to see the elevator doors open. At first she wasn’t sure if the man who stepped out of it was Blake, because he looked broken. Once again his back was bent beneath the pressure, his head bowed low. He looked like a man on the way to the gallows and all she wanted to do was run up to him and kiss him like she had before. All she wanted to do was give him some of her strength—the strength that he had given to her.

  Blake joined a group of people by the door—an old woman, an older man, a guy who looked like a football coach, a younger man with prematurely greying hair, and a woman with a supermodel’s physique and a frosty face. Ellie wondered if this was Michelle, Blake’s ex, and she felt a quiver of insecurity at how rich and glamorous she looked. Then the group exited the building and there was no time to think about anything.

  The crowd launched into a chorus of boos and jeers as Blake emerged, some women chanting “Blake out!” on the far side of the crowd. The group stopped at the base of the platform, leaving Blake to climb the stairs alone. The noise seemed to swell as he did so, and Ellie couldn’t even hear herself think.

  Quiet! she wanted to scream. Let him talk!

  Blake held up a hand, and after a while the noise faded into almost total silence. All eyes were on him, and Ellie suddenly wondered if the quiet was worse than the deafening roar of the crowd. Blake was pale, he looked frightened. Ellie lifted a hand to wave to him but she was so short and the crowd was so big he didn’t see her. She tried to project her strength to him. It sounded stupid, but she couldn’t do anything else.