“That sounds wonderful. So, what else?”
Phoebe let out a slow breath. “I think the second thing is what I learned from Thomas and Judy. They were such amazing mentors and their wisdom was truly awe inspiring. I’m glad I got to spend all that time with them. I learned so much.”
“They sounded great from everything you said. I wish I could have met them when they were in Sydney,” Jennifer said.
“I’ll make sure you do next time they come to town.” Phoebe smiled.
“Okay, and the last thing?” Jennifer angled her head expectantly.
Phoebe chewed her sandwich a little longer than necessary, delaying her response. This third favourite thing could lead to a long conversation, one she wasn’t prepared for. After swallowing, she took a sip of water and then toyed with her glass. “I…I may have…noticed somebody…” she said cautiously.
“What?” Jennifer’s eyes widened. “How come it took this long for you to tell me that part? What is he like? What do you mean by ‘noticed’? Is he Thai? Or Cambodian? When did you meet?” Jennifer rushed from one question to the next.
“Calm down! I noticed him, that’s all. It’s not like we’re dating. And no, he’s not from either of those places. He’s actually from Sydney. He heard about ‘Regenerate the Nations’ when Thomas and Judy were here a few months ago. He was at the mission for three weeks but his boss made him come back early for work.”
“He’s from here? That’s perfect. Too bad he had to come home early. Where does he work?” Jennifer asked.
“I actually don’t know,” Phoebe confessed. “He seemed fairly private.”
“Too bad. What’s his name?” Jennifer continued.
Phoebe tugged at a lock of hair before answering. “Nick.”
“Nick? Nothing more?”
Phoebe shrugged. “I think I saw his last name once on a planner he carried. It started with a B. Like Barrister, or Barrington,” Phoebe said, trying to remember.
“Barrington? Nick Barrington?” Jennifer blinked.
“I’m not sure. It was something like that.”
“Phoebe…” Jennifer said, her eyes wide.
“What?” Something about Jennifer’s tone made her suddenly anxious.
“Phoebe, was the man you met Nicholas Barrington?” Jennifer asked slowly, holding her gaze.
“Who’s that?” Phoebe scrunched her brows. “Why are you acting so strange? Is he a serial killer or something?”
Jennifer pulled out her phone and started searching for something while Phoebe anxiously waited. What had made her sister so serious all of a sudden?
“Phoebe, is this him?” she asked, turning the phone so Phoebe could view a picture.
The photo was of Nick. He didn’t have the beard, but otherwise, he looked the same. Except for the suit. And the fact that he was standing on the balcony of a beautiful, luxurious home. “How did you find that photo? Who is he? Why are you acting so serious, and why is he standing in front of a place that looks that amazing?” Phoebe prodded, growing more and more uneasy by the minute.
“He’s Nicholas Barrington. A billionaire businessman,” Jennifer finally stated.
Phoebe felt her stomach drop. A billionaire? A famous man who owned a business? As in, he was the boss himself? As in, he’d come back to Australia because of a crisis in the company he owned? “You’ve got to be joking,” she said through a thin voice.
“I’m not. You managed to land one of the most desired bachelors in the whole country. Now please tell me what you’re going to do about it,” Jennifer urged, suddenly excited.
Phoebe couldn’t handle the confusing thoughts swirling in her brain. How could she not have known? No wonder Nick…Nicholas, had been so private. No wonder he’d been vague when asked personal questions.
Knowing this new piece of information, Phoebe felt certain of one thing. She couldn’t call him. She couldn’t possibly chase after a billionaire.
Chapter 13
“Yes, the reports will be done by tomorrow. I’ll double check with my team and get back to you,” Nicholas promised before hanging up the phone.
Well and truly back in the workplace, he was still missing Thailand. While he’d drastically increased his giving to ‘Regenerate the Nations’, he still wished he could be there in person.
Since returning to Australia, he’d not only invested more into the mission, but he’d also looked into other similar organisations, like ‘Hesed’, the one in Cambodia that Phoebe had mentioned. He found himself researching not just the projects and programs, but the long-term impact, and he also undertook analysis to ensure his money was going to the programs with the best track records.
It was encouraging to read about the impact the best organisations were having in their local communities. And all the ones he’d chosen were Christian ones. That meant something to him now.
He’d become more invested in church as well, attending not just on Sundays, but also the Wednesday evening services, and he was learning more and more each week.
Having seen justice in action, Nicholas was growing in awareness of his own sin and his own need of Jesus. He was learning more about the consequences of sin and that God, being just and righteous, could not tolerate sin, but had paved a way for all mankind to come before Him and be made clean.
The sort of love that was talked about in Scripture was something he’d never comprehended or dared to dream of, until now. It was miraculous and truly something to be in awe of. Was it possible to be loved so completely?
Slowly, he was realising he could.
It was a frightening step to take, accepting the sort of love that promised all of this, but Nicholas knew he wanted it. He wanted it more than he could even express. There was a need deep inside him to be truly loved. To be accepted for who he was as a person, not for his position, his money, his looks, or anything else that swayed peoples’ perceptions of him. He just wanted to be loved for himself, like he had been when his parents were alive.
Charity had gone on a few more retreats, and while she returned talking about how great she felt, Nicholas still saw the insomnia and panic attacks barely being kept at bay. He witnessed her surviving on raw food powders and little or no intake of anything solid. He saw her insecurities that presented themselves as pride and arrogance. No matter how she talked about her meditation and peace, he knew it was false.
Likewise, Alden continued to spend money like there was no tomorrow. He rejected responsibility, but enjoyed the title, the cars, the house, and the women. Nicholas saw his emptiness.
When he thought of the faces of little children who’d suffered intense cruelty, children learning about Jesus and being loved, he saw hope. He saw peace and fulfillment. He saw freedom.
How was it that his siblings could be so at odds with themselves, and yet, these children who had nothing and had been so badly treated, were filled with such joy?
The only answer he could think of was Jesus.
When he considered what was stopping him from moving forward and making a commitment, he knew there was one primary reason. He felt like an imposter. He felt so undeserving and worried that if he tried, someone would remind him that he was just a rich boy toying with religion to fill his time. Much like Charity was doing with her meditation and yoga classes.
But the insecurity he felt was something entirely different.
Much of his time was spent thinking about what he’d done at ‘Regenerate the Nations’ and how fulfilling it had been. While he tried to grasp Jesus with one hand, he clung to the remembrance of Thailand with the other.
His great hope was that his finances were providing things that he wouldn’t have been able to help with in person. Perhaps they were being used to hire more local staff and provide additional training opportunities for the children.
At least his donation would help in hiring staff to replace Phoebe and Holly after they left. He tried to remember their timeline and felt certain they should have returned to Sydney by now. Havi
ng heard nothing from Phoebe, he couldn’t help but wonder if she simply wasn’t interested in him.
But that wasn’t the impression he’d gotten. Maybe she was just being polite. Or shy. That was absolutely possible.
“Hey.” Charity’s voice interrupted his thoughts when she knocked on the door to his office.
“Come in.” Nicholas waved her in and gestured for her to sit.
“Sorry to interrupt,” she apologised, sliding onto the chair and smoothing her skirt.
“No worries. How is everything?” Nicholas asked, clearing his head of previous thoughts and turning his attention to her.
“Good… But I’m realising that this contract could be a bigger issue than I originally thought.” Subtle anxiety tinged her voice.
“What makes you think that?” he asked, suddenly feeling uneasy himself. He’d returned to a big mess, but he thought they had it under control.
“I may have found some documents that need to be removed.” She fixed her gaze on his.
“Removed?” Nicholas echoed.
“You know what I mean.” She gave him a look inferring there were to be no further questions asked.
But he wouldn’t be bullied. “No, I don’t know what you mean, Charity. What’s in the documents? Are you suggesting they need to be destroyed? And if so, what happened to make you decide that’s the best recourse?”
“I can have the documents sent to you.” She sighed. “I mean, physically brought up. And it wasn’t us—it was the contractor. But…I know you. I don’t think you’ll like what you find.”
“Did we do something illegal?”
“No. But the contractor might have. It’s difficult language…”
“Charity, you’re the head of our law department. It’s not difficult language. Not for you, at least. I need you to tell me if we’re on the hook for something.”
“We very easily could be. I think you should look through the papers and then you can decide what to do about the situation. But if we take it public, the media won’t be kind to us,” she warned.
Nicholas scrubbed his face with his hands and leaned back in his chair. This was the last thing they needed. “Do you think the media will be any kinder if we’re caught hiding something? What did they do, Charity?”
The way his sister held his gaze, he knew it was bad. A muscle in her neck always twitched when she was anxious. Right now, it was pulsating. She pursed her lips and then answered, “They charged the client for five reports that were totally fabricated.”
Icy fingers seeped through every pore of his body as he digested the information. How had they engaged such a dishonest contractor? They weren’t talking small amounts. Each report would have cost the client hundreds of thousands. “How did this slip through, Charity?”
She shrugged off-handedly while pulling absent-mindedly at a thread on her skirt.
Nicholas seethed. While he’d grown a lot in his personal life in the previous months, his professional career was in a dire situation. Trying to deal with this whole mess regarding their contractor had been difficult enough without these new legal issues coming to light. “Bring me the documents. I’ll figure it out.” He determined not to let his frustration and disappointment get the better of him.
“Okay. Just remember we’re better off keeping this quiet and dealing with it as an internal matter,” Charity said as she rose from her chair.
As Nicholas watched her go, he felt very little satisfaction in what she’d said. If this was a legal matter, it couldn’t be shoved under the carpet, because issues had a habit of coming back to bite. He wouldn’t allow the company his grandfather had begun and had been so proud of to come into disrepute. Not on his watch.
For a moment, he thought how nice it would be to not have this responsibility. To instead be like Thomas and Judy in Thailand, doing something more personally rewarding. Not that they didn’t have their challenges, but it was different.
However, that wasn’t his life. His life was here, working at the firm with his siblings, watching and wondering when the next tower might come crashing down on them all.
Before long, Charity was back in his office with the documents in hand. She still seemed churlish, like she knew he’d do the right thing and she desperately didn’t want him to. She’d be aware, just like he was, that disclosing the fraudulent reports could destroy not only the contractor’s business, but their company as well.
“Are those them?” he asked, reaching out a hand to take the papers from her.
“Yes. And I’m wishing I didn’t report any of this to you. I know you. You’ll disclose it all and come clean. It’s not just about you, though. It’s about all of us. Remember that,” she said, giving one final warning.
“Sit,” Nicholas ordered, ignoring the fact that she clearly wanted to vacate the room.
“Please…” she said quietly.
“Sit down, Charity,” he said in a tone that let her know she’d better not argue.
Nicholas skimmed through the first couple of pages. It was true. Their contractor had fabricated the information in the extra reports. It was all there in black and white if you knew what you were looking at. What was more, these documents proved that someone in the company was aware of it already.
Doing something about the issue would mean, for a certainty, that the business would come under heavy scrutiny. They could attempt to hide it. No one would ever have to know. But it didn’t align with Nicholas’s growing conscience. It didn’t align with his developing understanding of God’s justice. Yes, it would be better for their business, but it wouldn’t be better for his soul.
He met his sister’s gaze. Disappointment registered on her face. How long had she been aware of this? Was that why she was so nervous? Had she been a part of it? “So, you think we ought to settle the matter internally?” he asked.
“It makes sense to me. We can get the proper reports prepared and keep them on file, and when any audits take place, everything will be in order.”
Leaning forward, Nicholas crossed his arms on the desk and held her gaze. “You know as well as I that it doesn’t work that way, Charity. And if we try that, it’s only going to get us called out. Someone will notice that the reports are different. It’s not a good idea, and I won’t have it in this company. I hold the majority shares, so I get the final say. We’ll handle it the right way. We’ll get the new reports prepared, and they’ll also be given to the client. He’ll know the initial reports he was given were fabricated.”
Her jaw tightened. “As long as you know that we might all go down, do whatever you think,” she added bitterly.
“I’m left with no choice,” he said quietly.
“You could choose to protect your family.” Her voice was laced with sarcasm.
“It would only cause harm in the long run. Trust me, Charity. This is what we have to do. I don’t like it any more than you do, but we have no choice. This is how it goes,” he told her again.
“Then so be it,” she snapped. “What do you want done with the documents?”
“Put them on a flash, then bring me the flash and the originals. I have a couple of people to talk to.”
Tight lipped, she nodded and left the room.
Nicholas slumped in his chair and blew out a heavy breath. How had all of this happened? Leaving Thailand had been difficult enough, but coming back to this mess was a nightmare.
An image of a classroom in Thailand and an attractive volunteer English teacher flitted through his mind. If only he could go back and leave all this behind.
Chapter 14
After discussing the contractor issues with several trusted advisers, Nicholas decided to put into action a plan he’d started making days before. It was time to find Phoebe and tell her exactly what was on his mind. Plus, he needed a breather from the nightmare unfolding on the forty-fifth floor of Barrington Towers.
Visiting Phoebe at her school was a huge risk, but Nicholas decided it was worth it. Pulling up in his car, he ho
ped he wouldn’t be too conspicuous. He’d always preferred more subtle vehicles than his siblings, but his Porsche still stood out in certain parts of town. Mercifully, in this part, his car was the norm. Porches, Mercs and BMWs lined either side of the street.
He’d done some sleuthing and found the school she taught at, and had driven there in the hope she might be happy to see him. It concerned him that she hadn’t called, but she’d made such a huge impression on him in such a short amount of time while they were together in Thailand that he couldn’t leave it go. He had to see her again.
The bell marking the end of the school day rang and children began pouring out, but he had no idea what time Phoebe would leave. Would she stay twenty minutes? Two hours? Surely he’d need only wait a short time before she exited.
But when half an hour had passed, he was starting to feel like he ought to have called her first. Maybe it would have been wise to gauge her interest before stalking her. Was he crazy?
A knock sounded on his window, startling him.
“Excuse me, sir. Are you waiting for someone?” The older female appeared quite concerned. He guessed she had a valid reason.
“Uh, yes. I’m here to meet with Phoebe Halliday. She’s a friend of mine,” he said, trying to sound more confident than he felt.
The woman’s brows knitted together.
“I promise I’m not here for any other intention. Just to see Miss Halliday,” he reiterated.
The woman pursed her lips. “Right. Let me see if I can find her.”
“Thank you, I appreciate that.”
“Is she expecting you?”
“No. It’s a surprise. But don’t worry. Like I said, she’s a friend, but we haven’t seen each other in over a month. I’m simply looking forward to surprising her.”
“I don’t know that Miss Halliday is the sort to readily accept surprises from gentlemen,” the woman muttered under her breath.
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