Then there’s Braydon. No matter how this ends, there isn’t and won’t be anything between us. As much as I’d like to remain friends, I can’t do that to him knowing I’ve been using him as a decoy.
Yelling erupts from the office the moment the elevator doors open.
Worry shoots through me, recognizing it’s coming from Levi’s office. I race down the hall and throw open his door.
“It wasn’t me, Jim. I would have never done this.”
“It has your name on it! How are you denying it? Proof! Here, here, here!” Dad throws the files across Levi’s desk as the papers explode in waves to the floor.
“Like I said, I have no idea. I’ve done nothing but dedicate all my time to this case.”
“To sabotage it!” my dad yells back.
I take a step into the office. “What’s going on?” They both whip in my direction. My dad’s expression angry. Levi’s disappointed. “What happened?”
“It seems Levi can’t be trusted after all,” Dad bites out.
“Oh, give me a break! Why would I do this? What would I have to gain?”
“I’ve heard what you’ve been planning,” Dad argues. “Setting up your own firm. Blow this lawsuit for mine, and when I start losing clients, you scoop them right out from under me.”
What in the heavens is going on?
“That’s ridiculous! And you damn well know it!” Levi throws his hand in the air.
“Someone needs to explain to me right now what you two are arguing about,” I snap.
“Someone got to Clara Hill,” Dad hisses.
“What do you mean got to her? Is she…?”
Levi snatches a letter off his desk, thrusting it at me, and I fumble with it until I unfold the piece of paper, reading the first few lines of the letter. My stomach drops. “A carrier delivered it this morning. Signed by Clara Hill herself. She’s retracting her statement. Claiming harassment on the firm. If we pursue this case, she’ll sue.”
“How on earth?” I finish reading the letter, stating very clearly she’s no longer willing to testify. How could she do this? So many people lost their lives. Her own husband and son included. And now, none of those people will see justice. “She has to have been threatened. There’s no other explanation.” I search out my dad. “We can’t let this happen. She has to testify.”
His murderous glare pins Levi.
“Dammit, Jim, I had nothing to do with this.”
I come to Levi’s defense. “Come on Dad, why would Levi go and threaten—”
My dad’s voice booms through the office. “Because his name is all over it! Signatures! Logins! I trusted you with this case. And now it’s all gone. Months of work. Credibility. Gone.”
I’ve never seen my dad so angry before. I turn to Levi for answers. His muscles strain under his dark fitted suit, his jaw clenched. “Levi, what is he talking about?”
Chills spread down my spine when his eyes glare into mine. Is that anger? Guilt? In an audibly tense tone, he says, “The original testimonies are gone. Someone deleted them from the server and swiped the hard copies from the storage room. We go to trial in twenty-four hours and we have nothing.”
My mouth drops open, a stunned gasp falling from my lips. “What? How is that possible?”
“Good question,” Dad snaps, addressing Levi. “You knew the importance of those files. Now those people won’t see justice. I hope you’re happy.” My dad pivots on his heel and storms out of the office.
“Levi, what happened? What did you do?” He doesn’t answer, but gives me his back as he stares out the window. “Answer me. Why would you do this to my dad? After all he’s—”
“Why would I?” He storms over to me, stopping mere inches from me, his face red and scrunched in anger. “Why would you?”
“Me? Why is this my fault?”
His hands swipe through his hair. “Those files went missing under your watch. You were the one who entered them. Wrongly, I might add.”
How dare he. “That’s impossible. I would never make such a mistake—”
“Well, you did. I’ve been covering for you since I noticed it. Tried to figure out how it could have happened. But seems little Hannah Matthews isn’t as perfect as she claims to be. Those files went missing under your watch.”
“You’re lying.”
“I wish I was. But it gets better. Now the system is showing I was the one who entered them.” He sighs, once again giving his attention to the outside. “The files were tampered with. Every single document you read, filed, submitted, touched, it’s all under my login and signature now. Well…was, since the server is showing I went in and swiped it all off. Even Clara’s original testimony is gone.”
The room is starting to spin. Dizziness threatens my vision, and I shake my head in disbelief. I’m struggling to process what he’s telling me. There’s no way I made a mistake entering those testimonies. Since the moment I stepped foot into this firm, I’ve been working to make sure everything I touch is treated with the utmost importance. So, if it wasn’t me, then who?
“I didn’t enter those wrong. I wouldn’t have. Someone must have changed it.”
Levi whips around. “Oh yeah? And who? Who would want to do that?”
“I don’t know! But it wasn’t me. There has to be another reason.” He stares at me, wanting that reason, but I can’t give it. “Do you truly believe I made those errors?” I need to know. Because if he does, then I don’t know where we, as a couple, go from here. There’s a long pause, and my stomach tightens.
Finally, he speaks. “I don’t.” The breath I’m holding releases. “I never thought you did. That’s why I never came out and asked you. I thought I could figure out what went wrong and fix it. You were so diligent. It seemed off right from the start. But now this. Someone has access to those files and is purposely sabotaging this case—us.”
I want to deny that theory because it sounds crazy. But without that, the finger points to one of us. “Has anyone had access to your files? Computer? Keycard?”
“No. No one.”
“Braydon?”
I shake my head. “Of course not. Just because you hate him, doesn’t mean he—”
“Hannah, we got into a fight in the bathroom at dinner on Friday.”
“What? What do you mean a fight? You said it wasn’t a big deal. Nothing—”
“I lied. I couldn’t stand him touching you. I went after him and threatened him to stay away from you. It got physical.”
I gasp, anger setting in. His knuckles. That’s how they got bruised and bloodied. “Levi, you didn’t. You can’t get—”
“That’s not what matters. What matters is he threatened me back. He told me, ‘Nice working with you.’ The way he said it…it was creepy. Like it had an underlying meaning to it.”
“Like he’s going to get you fired for assaulting him?”
“No, he told me he was going to take my place. Get rid of me, then slip into my spot. Meaning with you. He knows about us.”
There’s no way. We’ve been careful. This is all too insane. I just need to retrace my steps. Backtrack all my notes. Braydon never showed any liking to Levi, but he wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize his career—my career. “I don’t know. I think you’re looking at the wrong person. There has to be somebody else.”
He’s back to pacing his office. He doesn’t offer any other solutions, and I don’t have any. Think, Hannah. Think… It can’t be Braydon. Can it? “We need to get the trial postponed.”
He finally faces me. “And how do we do that? You don’t just call the supreme court judge and tell him you lost all your files and your only witness and need a continuance.” His words come out harsh, but I try not to take offense.
“Tell him we found a break in the case and need a few extra days to deliberate.”
“No.”
“Why not? If we can delay the trial, I can backtrack my steps. Search deeper for clues. My criminal law internship taught me a lot about rea
ding between the lines and finding clues normal people would never check for—”
“Stop being so damn naive! This isn’t a class project. Don’t you think we’ve tried to get that continuance? We were denied. Don’t you think I backtracked all your steps? Everything you touched. Witness lists, leads—all wiped out. And now Clara Hill is a ghost. Braydon Connor is behind this. I know it.”
Not this again. I sigh, my own tone now laced with annoyance. “I just don’t see—”
“Jesus Christ, Hannah! Open your damn eyes! It’s him. If you can’t see that then…”
“Then what?” I ask, my stomach dropping.
Levi shakes his head, turmoil in his eyes. His palms swipe down his face. His chest rises and falls in heavy pants. No… “Listen…I can’t do this right now. We need to take a step back. Us…it’s clouding my judgement. If I wasn’t so…” He pauses, as if measuring which words will hurt less. “If I was focused on work, this wouldn’t have happened.”
He may as well have punched me. My gut would have felt the same powerful blow as his words have.
“Levi…don’t.” My desperate plea falls off my quivering lips. I take a step toward him, but his hand reaches out, stopping me.
“I can’t right now. I need to focus on how to fix this.”
“And I can help—”
“You’ve done nothing but the opposite! Stay out of this, Hannah. All of it. For once in your life, just listen.” When his dark, solemn eyes find mine, a pain in my heart seizes as my breath fails me. He’s not only demanding I stay away from the case…but him as well.
“You’re breaking up with me.” I’m not sure if I say it as a question or statement. Either way, it’s a razor blade through my heart at each word falling off my tongue. My worst fear. He doesn’t want me anymore.
He steps toward me, and this time, it’s my turn to slap his incoming touch away.
“Hannah—”
“Don’t touch me.” I’m struggling to breathe, but I refuse to show how bad he’s hurting me. I inhale the thick air, hardening my features. “I’m so stupid. I actually believed you. I actually thought we were going to beat all the odds against us. But one little bump, and there goes Levi, running. What about all that trust you spoke of? Where the hell is that now while you point fingers, huh?” I raise my voice, ashamed when it cracks.
“Hannah—”
“I don’t know what hurts more: the lies about me being something special, or how easily you lost faith in me.” He ignores me when I throw my hand up for him to stay away and gets into my space. “Hannah, stop being like this. You have to—”
I slap him. Hard. The sound echoes throughout his office. His eyes spark with shock, probably matching my own. His hand lunges out and clutches at my bicep, pulling me into him, his growl setting my core on fire. “Don’t you dare ever question what I feel—”
A knock on the door interrupts him.
We both shift our attention to Vanessa. “Um...sorry to interrupt.” She stares between us, pretending she didn’t witness our altercation.
Levi quickly releases me. “What is it, Vanessa?” he asks.
“I...um...I was sent by Melanie in human resources to, um…she would like to see you in her office.” She’s extremely fidgety, clicking her pen a thousand clicks a minute.
“About what? I’m busy. Tell her I’ll come over when I’m—”
“Yeah, actually, I wasn’t supposed to leave your office until you came…with me. I have to escort you to her office…now.” Her face pales, and I swear she’s about to barf in Levi’s doorway.
Levi throws his hands up. “Fine. Let’s go.” Before he leaves, he turns his attention on me. “We’re not done here.” He storms out, leaving Vanessa chasing after him.
I’m the one who throws up. I race out of his office and barely make it into the bathroom. I’m not usually one for dramatics, but the severity of the situation hits me hard, the impact flipping my stomach upside down. The case. Accusations. My dad’s anger. Levi’s withdrawal. Another wave of nausea punches me in the gut. I bend over and puke again. How did all this happen? What went wrong? Was it really me? Did I sabotage this case?
Levi’s withdrawal left a bruise on my heart. My stomach aches at the cuts left by his doubt in me. I try to sort through the rubble of his words after our fight, but I’m left even more confused. The twister of emotions cause havoc in my mind, and I bend over, dry heaving. “Pull it together, Hannah.” I coach myself, wiping at my chin. This is not me. I’ve never been one to cower when someone hurts my feelings. Levi was right to accuse me of never listening. But it’s always been imbedded in me to fight. Debate. My dad always taught me to never stand down to an argument I can win. And right now, I have to put my emotions on the back burner and focus on the facts.
I did my utmost. I have no doubt in my capabilities. If those files went missing or were tampered with, it was not on my watch. Which means someone else changed the information in the computer. The thought of Braydon being involved crosses my mind. Doubt forms. I’m not sure why I was so quick to defend him against Levi’s accusations during our fight. Putting all the facts in place, there were some situations that could raise red flags.
“I was checking my email while I was waiting for you. Hope that’s okay.”
“Sorry. I bumped into them and a few fell. I put them all back in order. I hope I didn’t mess anything up.”
“Son of a bitch.”
Maybe this is my fault. Maybe Braydon’s been taking me for a ride this whole time to get close to those files. I had a loose tongue around him when I spoke about the case. The testimonies. When mine and Levi’s relationship took an unexpected turn, I too got sidetracked, my thoughts shifting from my responsibilities to him.
My fists slam on the counter. “Dammit. How dumb have I been?” Levi is right. I’m the one to blame. I need to spill the beans. Bear the responsibility. Before I rush out of the bathroom, I come to my senses. What would that do? Nothing. My dad’s words ring in my head. “Actions always speak louder than words, princess.” So, I begin to construct a plan in hopes of saving this case.
If Clara Hill won’t come to us, I’ll go to her.
Hannah
I’m taking a chance. More like playing with fire. This trip can blow up in my face. I could end up in a jail cell for obstruction of justice, tampering with a witness, trespassing, harassment—“Oh god, please let this work out.” There’s no hiding my sweaty palms or the nerves fluttering in my stomach. As I drive, I imagine Levi’s reaction. Okay…maybe let’s not focus on his reaction. There’s no doubt he’s going to be mad. But there’s no way whoever scared Clara off is going to get away with it. I want her to tell me to my face she’s giving up, and then I have one shot to change her mind.
Thoughts of Levi take a backseat as I enter the rural town of Crete. Unlike where I’m from, the streets are deceptively quiet. They aren’t filled with impatient drivers, sounds of horns honking, pedestrians dodging cars, or do-not-walk signs. It’s just…quiet. Also a little eerie. I drive down the ghost town on Main Street. One after another, each storefront displays a closed sign. It’s been almost a year since the accident, and the town still hasn’t recovered. But how can they after everything they’ve lost? Crete was an off-the-map, small town, famous for its tucked away paper mill. A good ninety-percent of the community worked there. The other small percent held the storefront jobs. The antique store, the barber, the corner bookstore, the pub. It was your typical hidden place in the world everyone forgot about. Until Miller Industries showed up.
Benjamin Miller offered them a deal. Painted them this beautiful image of what life in the town of Crete could be if they allowed them to build. Growth, jobs, life—he promised it all. They simply had to sign off on a high-rise deal. The town had been divided. More jobs, more future opportunities for their kids, their kid’s kids. But also, disruption of their small-town feel. It would bring a wealthy amount of traffic to Crete. Theresa Simmons would no longer lose sleep
at night worrying how she was going to make enough sales to keep her antique store open. Jerald Hope needed renovations to his barbershop. With the posh hotel they would build within the high-rise, it would bring an abundance of travelers to his shop. More business equated to extra income. Those repairs would be done within the first year the construction was complete. They even convinced Alba Winters from the bookstore this boost in traffic would bring in the possibility of famous authors to her establishment. Signings and readers from towns over visiting her store. They created the perfect picture, and they knew how to wine and dine each townsperson and business owner.
These people were barely making ends meet. They couldn’t afford to have Benjamin Miller come in and plant workers in their town, taking jobs away from the ones who desperately needed them. No need to fear, Miller Industries said. They already had a plan. They would hire from within. Anyone of age to work had a job. By the time Miller Industries was walking out of those meetings, those townspeople had already written their lists of what they would be spending their future influx of money on.
That money never came.
Theresa Simmons was visiting her husband on that construction site the day of the accident. She lost her life in the process, and so did her husband. Jerald Hope’s oldest son, Bryce, who had just turned eighteen, lost his life. Alba Winters’ husband and two sons were lost. Four months ago, she was found in the back of her store. She’d hung herself. My stomach drops, chills cascading down my arms as I pass the bookstore.
So many lives lost. For nothing. These poor people didn’t even have the means to fight what Miller Industries did to them. The entire community was forced to bury their loved ones and spend whatever they had left trying to pick up the pieces. Until one person stepped up: Clara Hill, the only person who still had a sliver of faith in the world. Just as tired as the rest, she used the last of her energy on finding someone who would take pity on their case—aka my dad.
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