Beyond Love Lies Deceit
Melissa Toppen
Published by Daft Empire, 2016.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
BEYOND LOVE LIES DECEIT
First edition. February 9, 2016.
Copyright © 2016 Melissa Toppen.
Written by Melissa Toppen.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Chapter | One
Chapter | Two
Chapter | Three
Chapter | Four
Chapter | Five
Chapter | Six
Chapter | Seven
Chapter | Eight
Chapter | Nine
Chapter | Ten
Chapter | Eleven
Chapter | Twelve
Chapter | Thirteen
Chapter | Fourteen
Chapter | Fifteen
Chapter | Sixteen
Chapter | Seventeen
Chapter | Eighteen
Chapter | Nineteen
Chapter | Twenty
Chapter | Twenty-One
Chapter | Twenty-Two
Chapter | Twenty-Three
Chapter | Twenty-Four
Chapter | Twenty-Five
Chapter | Twenty-Six
Chapter | Twenty-Seven
Chapter | Twenty-Eight
Chapter | Twenty-Nine
Chapter | Thirty
Chapter | Thirty-One
Chapter | Thirty-Two
Chapter | Thirty-Three
Chapter | Thirty-Four
Chapter | Thirty-Five
Chapter | Thirty-Six
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Acknowledgements
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Chapter
One
Samantha
The lobby of Sco-Tech is a sterile one. Clean lines, glass and steel make up the large area giving it a very expensive and futuristic feel. I guess I should expect no less from the nation’s leading technology firm, famous for its motto; We Are the Future.
I shift in my seat, straightening the black pencil skirt I chose to wear for my interview today. It took nearly every penny I had to afford it, along with the cream colored silk blouse I’m wearing, but I knew a company like this would accept nothing less and I didn’t want to take any chances where this job’s concerned.
Not that I’m that worried. To be honest, I know they would be foolish not to hire me. I have a four year degree, a successful internship under my belt and some stellar references. If anything, I am over qualified for the position of Assistant to CFO Luke Scott, but it’s not about the position, it’s about the in it will give me into Sco-Tech.
I won’t mention to them that my entire resume is falsified; that I am actually nineteen instead of the twenty-two year old that I claim to be, that everything about who I say I am is a lie. That I paid my neighbor to pose as my internship boss or that my name along with my social security number and college degree actually belong to a young woman that passed away in a car accident two years ago.
I have perfected it all. Each and every aspect of my identity and my past is sealed, a distant memory of a girl long since gone. Samantha Cole no longer exists, at least as far as the rest of the world is concerned anyways.
Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly, trying to keep my nerves at bay. I’ve planned this, obsessed over it. I know exactly what I need to say, how I need to act. This is the final piece to assembling a puzzle I started laying out two years ago; to destroy those who have destroyed me.
Revenge is not the answer. There is no peace in vengeance. These are the things my mother taught me as a child. I must learn to forgive and through that forgiveness, will find the means to let go. To understand the present, you must first learn of the past.
I wasn't always this jaded broken girl, hell bent on destroying the lives of others. I was once an innocent. A young girl growing up in the suburbs of Boise Idaho, I had a fairly simple life. My dad worked in sales and my mom taught second grade at the local elementary school. We didn’t have a lot, but we had enough that we never wanted for anything.
My older brother Sean was the scholar of the family. Graduating from high school with honors, he earned a full scholarship to NYU. Sean was born to achieve great things. A star athlete and all around fun guy, there was not a person on this earth that met Sean who didn’t love him instantly.
I was his biggest fan.
Being eight years older than me, my big brother was my idol, my protector, the one person that I knew would always be there for me, until he wasn’t. At eleven years old I had never even considered a world without Sean. But just three semesters after he left for college, a life without him was exactly what I faced.
The police said he was killed instantly, that he didn’t suffer. That didn’t make me feel any better. I would lie in bed at night and envision the pain that must have coursed through him when the car he was riding in lost control, flipping six times before finally coming to a stop. I imagined the fear he must have felt knowing that in one split second his entire life was over.
Ryan Scott, the driver and Sean’s fraternity brother, walked away with a couple of broken bones and minor lacerations but nothing life threatening. Ryan was the one driving after he had been drinking and yet he walked away while my brother paid the ultimate price.
A few weeks after the accident Ryan was charged with first degree vehicular homicide and faced some pretty serious jail time. At least he did, until a judge paid off by his father ruled that evidence of intoxication should be excluded from trial because he claimed law enforcement did not comply with procedures established for collecting the evidence. Ryan’s sentence was reduced to vehicular manslaughter and he got off with a fine and two years’ probation.
Equipped with more money than they know what to do with, the Scott family thinks they rule the world and the world has done nothing to show them differently. I guess operating Sco-Tech, a top firm for developing and selling computer software applications used by nearly every major retailer across the country, buys you a free pass where justice is concerned. And while Ryan and his rich father walked away and never looked back, Sean’s death set into motion a series of events that can never be undone.
First was my mother. Overcome with grief, she lost her ability to function as a normal person. She self-medicated on prescription pain pills and anything else she could get her hands on. I found her dead of an overdose two years after Sean died. I was thirteen.
Next was my father. He tried to stay strong for as long as he could but the loss of my mother only further intensified his drinking and before long I was the parent and he was the child. It was less than four years after my mom’s death that my dad would follow; massive heart attack at the age of forty-four.
That was it, I was alone. Every single person in my family was gone and there I was, seventeen and angry at the world. I had to find something to sink my anger into and I became fixated on the one thing that seemed to make me feel better; revenge. I am determined to make Ryan pay the way he should have paid eight years ago, and take Nicholas down right along with him.
I know my family is probably looking down at me right now begging me not to do this, but it’s already too late. I have sat by for far too long and watched my life fall apart because of Ryan Scott, while he carried on with his privileged happy life without a care in the world. No more.
He will pay...
“Miss Reynolds.” I look up to see a petite woman in her mid-thirties standing over me, a curious look covering her pre
tty face.
“Yes.” I stumble out, realizing she must have said my name at least once before.
“You can come with me.” She gives me an understanding smile, clearly chalking up my reaction to nerves.
If only she knew.
“Thank you.” I answer politely, standing.
She leads me down a long corridor to a set of double doors before turning left and leading me down another hallway. Finally coming to a stop at yet another reception area, she informs the older red headed woman behind the desk that I am Mr. Scott’s eleven o’clock interview. The woman barely looks in my direction before picking up the phone and immediately informing whoever answers on the other end of the line that I am here.
“You may head on in Miss Reynolds.” She informs me, hanging up the phone as she gestures to the massive set of double wood doors just to the right of the desk.
Nodding, I spin on my heel and quickly push my way inside, my eyes temporarily impaired by the dimness of the room in contrast to how bright the rest of the building is. There is a wall of windows that line the back of the large square space but they are shaded by some sort of tint, blocking out the natural light that would otherwise be flowing in. Even in the dim lighting, it doesn’t take long for my eyes to land on the man sitting behind an enormous mahogany desk towards the back of the room; Luke Scott.
Luke Scott is the youngest son of Nicholas Scott and brother to Ryan. Of the two Scott brothers, Luke is a bit of a mystery. While I researched the family extensively, I found very little on Luke. From what I can tell, he seems to avoid the spotlight while his brother basks in it.
Working for Luke seems like the better route. It gives me the ability to acquaint myself with Ryan and Nicholas without being in the lion’s den, so to speak. Even though the ultimate goal is to get close to Ryan, I know I need to ease my way in. Though how I am going to do that I still haven’t quite figured out yet.
Crossing the space towards Luke, my heart is beating so loudly, I swear he must be able to hear it pounding against my ribcage. The noise floods my ears and instantly makes my stomach twist. Knowing what needs to be done is one thing, actually following through with it is quite another. And while I have done everything in my power to ensure that all will check out, I am still terrified that somehow someone will discover who I really am, as if just looking at me will give it away.
“Miss Reynolds.” Luke’s deep voice fills the space just as I reach the chairs sitting opposite the desk, my eyes landing on his face.
I can’t control my reaction as I take a deep sharp inhale the moment a pair of crystal blue eyes find mine and hold me completely captive. He stands, reaching out his hand across the desk.
“Luke Scott.” He introduces himself, his smooth voice once again filling my ears.
I don’t realize I have even moved until the warmth of his hand is suddenly surrounding mine. “Allie Reynolds.” I manage to get out.
“It’s nice to meet you Miss Reynolds.” He gives me a warm smile causing my knees to shake slightly in spite of myself.
I’ve seen pictures of the Scott brothers before. Both Luke and Ryan are very attractive men, but seeing Luke in the flesh is an entirely different experience. He has the kind of looks that stop you dead in your tracks. His features are strong, chiseled, as if he’d been etched from stone instead of being made of flesh and bone. His dark hair is short and perfectly styled, pushed away from his face, putting the beauty of his eyes on full display.
Draped in a black custom fitted suit, his six foot frame and muscular build seems massive next to my five two, one hundred and ten pound body. I feel suddenly very intimidated by his presence, or maybe it’s his beauty that I find so unsettling.
I guess he must be used to this type of response from women; the sudden pause in her natural expression when she looks his way followed by a weak smile. Of course the blush that immediately follows my reaction is a dead giveaway of where my thoughts currently lie.
“Please have a seat.” He gives me a knowing grin, gesturing to the chair behind me.
Nodding, I quickly comply, settling down onto the stiff leather.
“Get it together Sam. He’s a Scott.” I remind myself when he meets my gaze once more.
Straightening my shoulders, I push my hair away from my face, tucking the long dark blonde layers behind my ears.
“Thank you so much for coming in so quickly. This position opened up rather unexpectedly.” He continues, shuffling through a stack of papers on the desk in front of him.
“Of course.” I keep my reply short and professional.
“So, Miss Reynolds.” Luke finally locates my resume, setting it directly in front of him on the desk. “Why don’t we start off by you telling me a little about your internship with Advanced Global?” He meets my gaze again.
I quickly respond, spouting off one of my rehearsed answers about all the tasks I performed and experience I gained working as the assistant to Gail Osborne, VP of Sales for Advanced Global; a prominent marketing firm in the Los Angeles area.
“Well according to this letter of reference she was very sad to see you go.” Luke chimes in the moment I finish. “Is there a reason you didn’t stay on for a more permanent position? By the looks of it you definitely could have.” He gives me a smooth smile causing my stomach to clench slightly.
“I enjoyed my time with Ms. Osborne immensely but overall the company wasn’t the right fit. I want to work for a company I can grow and expand with. Unfortunately marketing is not the field I want to pursue and while I gained a great deal of experience working for Advanced Global, I knew going in that my time with them would be a stepping stone, a learning experience to better assist me with where I ultimately want to end up.”
“And is Sco-Tech somewhere you want to end up?” He asks, looking up from my resume.
“More than you know.” I answer truthfully.
Whether it’s for the reasons he’s assuming is irrelevant. The statement stands true regardless.
“What is your ultimate goal in a career? I’m guessing based on your education that you don’t want to be an assistant forever.” His gaze on me does not falter.
I feel squeamish under the intensity of his eyes but I manage to keep myself together.
“I would love to be a financial analyst which is why I think this position is perfect for me. I feel like working as an assistant to the Chief Financial Officer will give me invaluable insight into what it takes to operate a multi-billion dollar corporation.” I beef up my answer, hoping to come across as driven and eager to grow within the company even though not one part of my response holds any truth.
“Why Sco-Tech?” He asks a question I knew was coming.
“It’s simple.” I meet his gaze. “Sco-Tech has revolutionized the technology industry. It controls so much of a major market that working for any other company seems meager in comparison. Sco-Tech is the mother ship Mr. Scott, but then again I’m pretty sure you already knew that.” I can’t help but smile when he lets out a light laugh.
“I have got to hand it to you Miss Reynolds; you’ve done your research.”
I’m not sure but if I had to guess I would say he views this as a good thing, though I could be wrong. Maybe he views it as me being too eager to impress which could potentially reflect negatively on me. Most people want straight shooting hard workers, not ass kissing know-it-alls. I hope I don’t come across as the latter.
“It says here you graduated with your Bachelor’s degree in less than three years.” He gives me an approving nod when I meet his gaze.
“Yes. I attended classes year round in order to cut down on the length of time I had to spend on my education.” I confirm, nervously tucking my hair behind my ears again even though it has barely moved since the last time I did it.
Again, I’m not sure if he is impressed or annoyed with my response. Coming into this interview I felt like I had this in the bag, but sitting in front of a man like Luke Scott has completely derailed my confi
dence and is causing me to second guess every word that leaves my mouth.
As Luke continues, I do my best to keep my answers straight and to seem unaffected by how much he wants to know. I must have practiced the answers to every question he asks a hundred times over but I still feel the heavy weight of doubt creeping in with each one I give.
Even still, by the end of the interview I am fairly certain that I at least have a shot. Besides being initially distracted by how attractive he is, I feel like I handled myself relatively well.
Standing, Luke once again extends his hand to me. “It was very nice to meet you Miss Reynolds.”
“You as well, Mr. Scott.” I reply, taking his hand, flinching slightly as his fingers tighten around mine.
Not that it’s painful, not even close. It’s more about the way his hand around mine causes my stomach to clench and my heart to pick up speed, even if just a fraction.
Pulling my hand away, I nod and smile politely before quickly excusing myself from Luke’s office, eager to escape the confines of the four walls that I’ve felt closing in on me more and more as the time has passed.
As I exit the building just a few short minutes later, I can’t seem to shake Luke’s eyes from my mind. The way they studied me with each word I spoke, the way they seemed to burn traces into my flesh as he took in my appearance, the way they seemed to momentarily blind me from my very purpose for being in his office.
I find the whole thing unsettling and yet oddly electrifying at the same time. While I may be here for a very specific purpose, that doesn’t mean I am any less human or any less of a woman. I would have to be blind not to be physically attracted to Luke Scott.
****
After walking for twenty minutes in less than comfortable heels, I finally reach my apartment complex, which sits a few blocks from Sco-Tech’s Corporate Headquarters. I get two steps into the entrance of my building when my phone springs to life in my purse.
The sudden screeching causes me to jump slightly. Having just bought this phone two weeks ago, a cheap pre-paid phone I got at a nearby store, I am not used to having a cell phone. I know that sounds unheard of to most people but for me it just made sense. Why have a phone when there’s no one alive that cares to talk to you?
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