“Yeah. In return for giving him our business, Oliver prices his products at the same rates we paid for more premium ingredients, then gives me cash for the majority of the profit he makes. It was simple really.”
“It certainly was. What do you say we go back the way we came and get out of here?”
Trevor’s eyes lit. “I’ll call my driver.”
“You do that,” Jill said, taking her own phone out of her clutch and sending a message to her driver. Precisely as she had counted on, by walking very quickly and slipping through tight spaces between shifting bodies, Jill was able to lose Trevor in the crowds. She glanced back once and saw him looking around with a perplexed expression on his face and nearly laughed. When she got outside, she looked around for her car. To her surprise, Rick appeared out of the shadows.
“Been up to no good again, I’d bet,” Rick said.
Jill winced, but smiled the best she could. “I’ve been up to a great deal of good actually, but I was dealing with a slug, so I feel incredibly gross right now. I’m going home.”
“Well, just be glad Trevor Walton didn’t try anything he shouldn’t have. I was under orders to take him to the ground if he did.”
“You saw us on the balcony?”
“Sure did.”
“Does Blake know?”
“He will,” Rick said, his voice uncompromising.
“Oh dear heavens, I hope I survive this in one piece.” Then seeing her car at last, she hurried over to it. Rick beat her there and opened the door. She nodded at him, reluctantly glad he’d had her back even if she hadn’t known it. Then she sank gratefully into her seat and tried to not to think about how Ivey would be hanging on to Blake the rest of the night.
.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Blake couldn’t focus on anything Friday morning, even though he’d come in early so he could work in peace. It had been one of the most miserable nights of his life with Jill disappearing with Trevor and Ivey hanging onto him like the plant she was named after. His head ached, and his muscles were tense from a long night with little sleep, but he was determined to survive until Jill had finished her report, then yank her into a conference room and talk this all out until they were one hundred percent square with each other.
A knock on his door alerted him that he was no longer the only one in the office. It surprised him when Ivey came in. She’d had enough to drink the night before that he expected her to be a little late, not early. Her devotion to her job didn’t make him any happier to see her. “Yes?”
She came closer until he could see the darker circles under her eyes, imperfectly concealed with her heavy makeup. What caught his attention the most however, was the strange glitter in her eyes. “There’s something you need to know about Jill Harris.”
He lifted his eyebrows. “Have you not maligned her enough in the past?”
“I have always had a feeling I should keep an eye on her.”
“And it has nothing to do with my obvious romantic interest in her?” Blake was tired of playing games with her.
“Only because I was concerned that you might not see anything beyond her pretty face and long legs.”
With a wave of impatient fury rushing through him, Blake clenched his fists. “Spit it out, Ivey.”
“I heard her with Trevor Walton on the balcony last night. She’s blackmailing him for a positive report and a recommendation that you invest in Gourmand’s.”
Blake froze. There was no way that could be true. “You heard wrong.” It was not a question. He knew there was no way Jill was capable of that.
“I didn’t. She found that he’s been lining his pockets through a supplier, so she had plenty of leverage, and he had the bankroll. They negotiated until they agreed on a check of twelve thousand dollars and a bonus after you’ve invested in the company.”
His brain was frozen. He heard what Ivey was saying, but nothing was processing. This didn’t fit the woman he knew, the woman he loved. Or thought he loved.
“What are you going to do, sir?”
Ivey’s impertinence turned all the pain of this possible betrayal on her. “Why? Do you want to see Jill suffer? See her humiliated? In prison maybe? Ha, if I get my best lawyers on it, I might even be able to get her a cell next to my mother.”
“My only concern is for the company. And for you. I know how much you value honesty and good ethics.”
Blake got up and paced in front of the window that made up the east wall of his office. The morning sun gleamed with an ironic warmth on a day that had grown suddenly dark. “I do. And Ivey, I wish that you would be honest with me. I have known for some time that you have wanted more from me than a professional relationship. I was prepared to overlook it as long as it didn’t impact your work. Upon consideration though, I have decided that is affecting your judgment and causing you to impose on my private matters. I will give you the courtesy of resigning and a glowing recommendation. Please accept it before other measures must be taken.”
Her face blanched. “But I’m telling you the truth.”
“You very well may be. I will get to the bottom of that issue, I promise you. But that has no bearing on why I can no longer have you as my personal assistant.” Blake turned to face the window. “Goodbye, Ivey.”
It was several long moments before the click of Ivey’s heels moved away from him and the door shut behind her. Once she was gone, his shoulders sagged and he walked back to his desk. He just needed to think.
He had been so sure of her. There had been so many signs that led him to believe he could trust her. When she spoke of how well her job paid, it had been a joke, as if money was the least of her concerns. Maybe because this wasn’t the first time she’d extorted money from someone. A week ago, no one could have convinced him that she was mercenary—or despicable enough to take advantage of finding a crook within his company for her own enrichment. Why was he considering it now?
Because she had definitely been up to something with Trevor. Something she refused to tell him about. And if she had been on the up and up, why couldn’t she confide in him? Surely, of all the people in the world, he would have been the one person she could talk to about it.
Coming to this appalling conclusion, Blake stared down at his empty desk, sure that his heart had burned to ash. There was a burning, hollow feeling in his chest that ached past bearing. What should he do? He was in an untenable position. Having made himself and his company the standard for high business ethics, he could not now refrain from exposing her. He realized belatedly that he had fired the one person who could corroborate his claims. What a sickening, tangled nightmare.
No. Wait. There was someone else. Blake grabbed his phone and sent Rick a message, telling him to report to his office immediately. As he waited for Rick to arrive, he paced his office again, trying to control the rising tension that twisted in his gut as he realized Jill would soon be arriving in the office. He just hoped she wouldn’t seek him out—at least until he knew how he was going to handle this.
A knock on his door nearly made his heart stall out, but it was Rick. “Yes, boss?”
“Ivey made some serious accusations about Jill. She said she overheard her making a deal with Trevor. I sent you to follow them. Did you hear anything?”
Rick’s face tightened, and his jaw clenched, but he nodded. Blake listened as Rick repeated nearly word for word what Ivey had said, and each word felt like a death sentence.
“Well, that confirms it. Now what?”
“Sir, I suggest you act cautiously.”
“Why?”
“I know Jill. I believe you do too. In fact, I thought you—well, I won’t say anything about that. My point is, there may be a very good explanation for all of this.”
Blake raised his arms. “What could it possibly be?”
Rick shrugged. “I’d advise giving her a chance to come clean.”
“Thanks, but I didn’t ask you for advice, just to know what you heard. You may go back to wo
rk.”
Rick sighed heavily, a worried scowl lining his face. But he didn’t say another word before he left. His words, however, stayed with Blake. He would give Jill a chance to come clean, as Rick phrased it. She’d be giving her report in a few hours, and he’d be listening very attentively.
He barely heard the next knock that landed on his door, so when he looked up and saw Jill coming in, shock immobilized him. His face was so frozen, he couldn’t have spoken or changed his expression to save his life.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I’ve had some bad news.” He nearly laughed at the inadequacy of the words and the irony of speaking them to her.
“Anything I can help with?”
“Are we sharing things with each other now then?” Blake knew his words foamed with bitterness but he couldn’t check them.
Jill straightened and the color ran from her face. “You’re about to get a full report. You will be able to ask questions until you are satisfied you have everything you need to know.” She narrowed her eyes. “And if you want to continue the Q and A in private, I’d be more than willing.”
Her tone was sharp and taunting, and as angry as he was, he responded to it with enthusiasm. “I’m looking forward to it. Why should we wait for the meeting though?”
Pressing her lips together, Jill pointed a finger at him. “Because I’m professional enough to do things properly.”
Blake’s laugh was harsh and broken. “Are you?”
Now she looked as bewildered as she did angry. Before she could say another word however, another knock fell on the door. Blake and Jill stared each other down until she moved abruptly to open the door. The man on the other side was a stranger to Blake, but it was obvious Jill knew him well.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, not allowing the older man to enter.
He was short, with a greying, balding head. He wore a crisp suit at odds with his loose jowls. “Your father sent me. Excuse me please.”
Jill stepped back but she glared at the man as he walked up to Blake.
“Hello, I’m Burt Johnson. I’ve been sent to oversee Ms. Harris. We apologize that it has taken so long to get one of our senior executives on your account.”
“I told my father not to send someone. What happened?”
Blake thought Jill looked as if she was a hairs-breadth away from snapping. However, this was the perfect solution to his problem. If she didn’t have access to his businesses, she wouldn’t have any leverage to extort money. At least then he wouldn’t have to go through the pain of pressing charges against her.
“This was a decision by the board, Ms. Harris. You are simply too junior of an employee to handle such a large account.”
“Am I? Amazing, since I’ve already done it. I was just on the point of making my recommendations. We have a meeting in less than two hours.”
“Sorry, but that won’t do. Now that I’m here, I’ll need to review all of your reports and collaborate on your conclusions before we make an official recommendation.”
Blake decided it was time for him to enter the conversation. “This meets with my approval. In fact, I would prefer to let Mr. Johnson take over for you Jill.”
He nearly couldn’t bear the look of hurt on her face, as if he had plunged a knife into her and gutted her. “Would you indeed?” Her words were quiet, but they rang with fury. “I will remind you both that I was hired by Nate Haverton. Since he is the one who is paying for our services, he should be the one to make the final decision.”
Blake looked away from her and strode over to the window, unable to bear this a moment longer. “He’s arriving for the meeting this morning, correct?”
“He’s already here. I’ll go get him.” Her voice shook slightly, but Blake couldn’t help but admire her composure. He doubted he’d be able to maintain his for long.
“What is going on here?” a male voice asked from the doorway. Turning, Blake saw Nate coming in, his expression none too pleased. “Jill told me that you both want to take her off the account—my account, in case I need to remind you both.”
Blake sighed. This was going to be difficult. There was only one way to resolve this, though he’d hoped to avoid it. “There have been allegations made against Ms. Harris, which I have verified through two witnesses, one of whom I trust implicitly.”
“What allegations?” Mr. Johnson and Nate asked in unison.
Avoiding Jill’s eyes, knowing it would crush him to look at her, he said, “That Jill conspired to extort money from Gourmand’s candy by blackmailing the manager, Trevor Walton, who is apparently feathering his nest through shady dealings with a supplier.”
Jill gave a sharp, mirthless laugh. “It’s true. Except of course, that you’re missing one vital piece of information. And when you hear it, Blake McDaniel, I hope you choke on regret.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
She would not break. She would not shatter or cry or flinch away. She would stand and speak her truth before she left his world forever.
Focusing her attention on Blake, she said, “It was all a setup. I lured him into making a deal with me because I needed proof of what I suspected. Ruining a man’s reputation and livelihood is something I don’t take lightly. And even though I had the data to make a strong case against him, there was absolutely no way to prove it. I recorded the whole conversation, which I have already sent to you. Yes, you’ll hear me say vile things, but I extracted the information I needed for you to make a solid case against him. To further prove that I am telling the truth, you will see that I have outlined the whole matter in my report, which I completed last night and printed this morning when I first reached the office, before I knew anything about being accused. If you read to the end, you’ll see that I recommend investing in both Elysian and Gourmands after booting Trevor out on his tail and siccing your lawyers on him.”
Jill watched with a detached, bitter sort of pleasure as Blake’s face tightened and paled. Then she turned to Mr. Johnson and handed him another report. “Here is everything you need to know, though if you want to see all the extraneous data, you may get it from Camden.”
Nate dropped a hand on her shoulder. “I have not fired you, Jill.”
She tried to smile up at him, glad for a friend in the middle of this horror, but she couldn’t manage it. “Thanks, but I’m resigning. I wouldn’t work for my father now if he offered me half the company.”
Desperate to leave before she broke, she turned for the door. Blake’s voice froze her in the doorway.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” His voice was a plea, and part of her ached to believe it meant he still cared.
“Because I knew you were jealous of him, and I didn’t want to influence your opinion further if I was wrong. I also didn’t know how you might react that evening if you’d known. I hoped you’d trust me that I’d never betray our relationship—whatever it was. I never thought you’d think so poorly of me as to believe I was capable of this.” She turned to Nate then, saying, “Can we get out of here? I can be packed in no time.”
***
By the time Jill arrived at Nate’s home in Alabama, she felt like a hollowed-out shell. How had so much hope and affection turned to dust?
Nate must have been texting with Charlotte, because she met them at the front door and wrapped Jill up in a tight hug that almost broke her, as frail as she felt. And that’s when the tears finally fell, washing down her cheeks in a flood it was impossible to see through.
“You poor thing. Come inside.”
Charlotte led her through their large Plantation home, into a cozy and private room on the ground floor. They sank down together, and Jill tried to tell her friend all that had gone wrong, made worse by all that had gone right. So very right, and now so very lost. But her words got tangled up with sobs and fragmented by her racing, jumbled thoughts.
“Okay, calm down, honey. Maybe you should wait to tell me after you’ve stopped crying.”
“I don’t thi
nk I ever will.”
But eventually, slowly, she did stop. There was an end to the amount of moisture her eyes could produce, but not to the well of hurt inside her. “I thought I loved him, Char,” she said a long while later after the whole long story had finally untangled itself.
“I hate to break it to you, but you probably still do. Trust me, love doesn’t just go away because someone hurts you. That would be too convenient.”
Jill gave a stuffy chuckle. “I was ready to give up everything to be with him. My job, my profession. But I messed everything up.” She sniffed. “And so did he.”
Nate came into the room then. “I thought I should warn you that I gave permission for Blake’s plane to land at my airstrip. He’ll likely be here in about thirty minutes.”
“You did what?” Charlotte asked, standing up.
Shrugging, Nate said, “I felt for the guy. I know what it’s like to royally screw up with the woman you love.”
Jill glared at the door as it closed behind Nate. “How dare he come here. Why won’t he just leave me alone?”
Charlotte sat across from her on the couch and Jill felt glad she had a friend, right up until Charlotte grinned at her. Narrowing her eyes, Jill sat up straighter and threw the pillow she’d been cuddling down on the floor. Then she braced herself for what she knew her friend would say.
“Oh my gosh! I can’t believe this! It’s too perfect. Do you remember how much you teased me about falling for Nate?”
“No. I remember encouraging you to go after him.”
“Yeah, but I mean after that. Like during the whole week before my wedding. You teased me so bad about marrying a billionaire. And now you’ve gone and fallen for one too.”
Jill glared at her. “That’s so nice of you to rub it in that you got your happily ever after.”
Charlotte wiggled a little like a kid with a new toy. “Yeah, well, why else would Blake fly all the way down here after the catastrophe he caused?”
Unable to deal with the stress and confusion, Jill stood up and walked around the room. “I’ve got to leave. I can’t be here when he arrives. Where can I go?”
The Truth about Billionaires (Southern Billionaires Book 2) Page 15