Freedom (Billionaire Secrets Series, #2) Read online

  Everett frowned. “You raise good points, Simon, but you have to admit you’ve been badly compromised by this woman. She’s managed to torpedo your reputation in a matter of months. Even if she’s innocent, she’s caused more damage to Dover than we’ve had to deal with in years.”

  “If she’s innocent, then the damage is solely on me. It will have been my fault that our products haven’t done as well as we hoped,” Simon countered.

  “You’re still defending her. Even now.” Everett’s eyes narrowed. “Are you sure you’re up to this task?”

  Simon nodded forcefully. “I’m up to this. And Everett, when it’s time to confront Heather, let me do it.”

  Everett paused. “I don’t know, Simon. She has a real hold over you.”

  That much was true. Try as he might to fight it, Simon was still completely under her spell. He was enthralled by her. Ready to stake his reputation on still giving her the benefit of the doubt.

  “I hired her. I handled the case against my previous assistant. It’s my responsibility to fix this.” If they had to confront her, Simon wanted to be the one to do it. He wanted to hear what she would have to say to defend herself. He wanted to look in her eyes so that he would know for sure if she was the same person she had always been.

  “Fine. You have my permission to investigate this further and confront her if it comes to that,” Everett said. “But if this isn’t dealt with properly, you’re looking at a lengthy suspension.”

  That cut him to the bone. He had known it was possible, but now it looked like it could end up being a reality if he didn’t set things right. “I guess that means I have to tell you how the reunion went.”

  “I almost forgot about that,” Everett said. “Linda mentioned it to me. How did it go?”

  “Not well,” he replied truthfully. “A photo was taken of me and Heather in a compromising position.”

  “How compromising?” Everett demanded, his voice laced with warning.

  “An old high school classmate got a photo of us kissing. Heather and I also spent the night together.” He hated having to reveal details of his private life, but he had to get everything out in the open if he wanted Everett on his side. He was running out of options and he needed allies at Dover.

  “For fuck’s sake, Simon.” Everett started pacing up and down the office in agitation. “The board won’t suspend you in the middle of your investigation into your assistant. But mark my words, if you don’t nail whoever is behind VLA’s spying you’re looking at a suspension. And it won’t be for three months either. It would be six months at least, and it could even be an indefinite suspension if the investors are angry enough.”

  He was on the brink of losing both Heather and Dover. Heather had been the one to encourage him to chase his dreams. Now there was the irony of her possibly being the reason his dreams might be crumbling. Dover was his life. The work they did at the company gave his life purpose. Meaning. The money was great, but nothing compared to how they changed people’s lives with the work they did here.

  They had made so many things accessible to people with their technology. They did more than just create software that just about everyone with a computer or a smart phone used. Medical technology had improved over the years because of Dover. Cars were safer. People in remote areas could connect with the outside world in ways they never had before. Their technology helped people on rescue missions after natural disasters. Dover had totally changed the world, and the thought of no longer being a part of that was impossible to even imagine.

  Heather and Dover were the only things in his life that mattered. And now it looked like there was a real chance of losing both, if he hadn’t already.

  “I can fix this,” he said firmly. “I’ll investigate my assistant and put a stop to whatever VLA has planned.”

  “You know this means she’ll end up in jail if she’s guilty,” Everett pointed out.

  His chest tightened, and he suddenly felt out of breath. Imagining her languishing in prison seemed worse than merely losing her. It added an extra layer of misery to her life that unnerved him. “I know.”

  Everett stopped his pacing and focused his attention on Simon. “I’m counting on you to get this right.”

  “I’ll get it done.”

  “Good. While you investigate, I’ll see how Linda is handling your little photo mishap.” With a grim nod, Everett headed towards the office door.

  Suddenly, the door swung open and Heather walked inside.

  “Oh.” Her eyes went wide when she spotted Everett. “Good morning, Mr. Eastman.”

  Everett cast Simon a meaningful glance, as if he was trying to remind him of the task ahead.

  Simon knew what the stakes were. If he failed to stop the spy in time, he’d lose Dover. If he succeeded, and that spy was Heather, there was a good chance that he’d lose her. Forever.

  “GOOD MORNING, Mrs. Hall.”

  Heather was sure she heard a hint of disdain in Everett Eastman’s tone, but she kept her apprehension to herself. She was a professional, and that meant never breaking a sweat at work. Even if Dover’s most powerful board member was currently glowering at her.

  Though she couldn’t imagine why he was glowering at her like that. She didn’t like keeping Gary’s last name, but she’d done it for her son. So everyone would know she and Finn shared a last name and always would. If that offended Everett for some reason, that was his problem.

  “Would you like me to give you two some privacy?” she asked.

  “No need. I was just on my way out.” Without a second glance, Everett exited the office.

  “Does he know about the photo?” she asked Simon, anxiety immediately flooding her now that Everett’s imposing presence was gone.

  “Yes.” Simon’s blue eyes landed on her, but she couldn’t read the expression on his face.

  “That’s why he seemed angry.” She chewed her bottom lip, no longer able to hide her worry. “How much trouble are we in? Has the board called a meeting?”

  “No, the board hasn’t called a meeting,” he replied, his tone terse.

  “Well that’s good, isn’t it?” She frowned as she watched him take a seat at his desk. There was something distant about him this morning. Heather had been certain that, once they were alone, he would at least acknowledge just how much things had changed between them since the reunion.

  She had promised not to keep her distance from him anymore, but now he seemed agitated.

  “It is,” he said. “Everett is doing what he can to help Linda keep the photo from going public.”

  “What if it does?” she asked. “We should come up with a plan for dealing with that if it happens.”

  “Everett will work with Linda if the photo gets out,” he said.

  “That’s surprising,” she said. “I thought a board member like Everett would be a lot angrier about the reunion turning out to be a disaster.”

  “Oh, trust me, he was angry,” Simon said.

  Now she couldn’t shake the guilt. Of course, Everett was angry. He had probably given Simon hell for their mistake before she stepped into the office and found them talking. Which meant that Simon had taken the brunt of most of Everett and the board’s anger.

  “That’s not fair,” she said. “You can’t take the blame for this. Let me go and talk to him—”

  “No,” he said harshly. “Sit down.”

  Sometimes it was easy to forget how powerful Simon really was. His command made her want to do exactly what he told her. If he asked her to slip out of her clothes right now, she’d probably do it. He had that much power over her body. Over her mind. And, if she was being honest with herself, he had control over her heart as well.

  Doing as he told her, she crossed the office to sit down across from him. She swallowed hard. “Is your job in jeopardy?”

  “Not yet,” he said.

  “Is mine?”

  He leaned forward and looked her dead in the eyes. “No.”

  She brea
thed a sigh of relief. “I know my three-month review is coming up and I really want to stay on at Dover. I love working here.”

  “As long as you keep up the good work, you’ll be fine,” he said. “Let me, Everett, and Linda worry about the photo. I’ll buy it back if I have to.”

  “That sounds like it could be expensive. I don’t want you to have to spend that kind of money,” she said. “Let me pay for the photo. I can pay you in installments out of my salary.”

  “That’s not going to happen, Heather.” He gave her a small smile. “I’ll solve this. Please, don’t worry about the photo. I’d rather you focused on work.”

  “Honestly, I think we should talk. About us,” she said. “I promised that we’d talk, and I meant it. I know we probably can’t talk right now, but the sooner the better.”

  “I agree,” he said with a nod. “We have to talk things out and make some decisions.”

  “Probably tough decisions.” Things were so complicated between them, but when she had spent the night at his place over the weekend everything had felt so right. Figuring out where they stood was going to be difficult, but she was finally ready to try. To at least see where their relationship could go if they took it to the next level. The problem was that there were so many obstacles to them getting together.

  “How about we talk today after work?” he suggested. “We can go somewhere private and figure things out.”

  “I usually pick up Finn from my parents’ house after work,” she said. “But maybe I can ask them to watch him for a few extra hours while we talk.”

  “I understand if you can’t talk today while you take care of Finn.”

  She waved her hand. “I’ll call my parents and sort things out. I can spare a few hours.”

  “I know how tough it must be for you to make time to talk things out, so I appreciate it, Heather,” he said.

  “No problem.” She got to her feet. “I’m going to start getting some work done in my office and call my parents to make arrangements for this evening.”

  “Great,” he said.

  When she opened the office door, she stole one last glance at Simon. He was staring at his computer screen, already hard at work despite the chaos that was building around them.

  Knowing there might be a chance for them now made her heart swell. She just hoped that Simon didn’t pull away from her now that she was ready to give them a chance.

  Chapter 15

  She let him take her hand as he helped her walk up the steps to the art gallery.

  “I can’t believe you own this place,” Heather said as he held the door open for her.

  “Why not?” Simon stepped inside after her.

  “I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I guess I never saw you as a guy who appreciated pretentious modern art.”

  There were inside one of Seattle’s most prestigious art galleries. The place was closed at this hour, which is why Simon had suggested they meet here to talk after work. It was probably one of the few private places they would have away from the press, since few people seemed to know Simon owned the place.

  Heather wasn’t very knowledgeable about things like art, but she liked learning about another facet of Simon’s life that seemed hidden from everyone else. Being here made her feel oddly special. Like he was sharing a secret with her and only her.

  He laughed. “I bought the gallery because I liked the type of art they display. Most of the art installations are a combination of design and technology.” Simon pointed to one of the installations on their left, a giant oblong-shaped chrome monstrosity that lit up with neon blue lights.

  “What is that thing?” She tilted her head, trying to figure out what on earth she was looking at.

  “I’m not sure.” His brow furrowed as he thought for a second. “Some kind of giant magnet?”

  “It looks like a space ship,” she said.

  “Well, whatever it is, it’s worth a quarter of a million dollars,” he said.

  Her mouth fell open. “Wow.”

  “Hey, Dover’s technology helped make that thing,” he pointed out. “It’s only fair that it’s on sale for such a hefty price.”

  The gallery curator suddenly appeared to greet them and offer them small cups of coffee. With the coffee in their hands the curator disappeared back into her office, leaving them alone in the gallery.

  Cradling the cup in her hand, Heather followed Simon to a seating area in one of the gallery rooms. She took a seat beside him and took a sip of the strong brew.

  “Guess we should talk now,” she said softly, staring at the dark liquid in her cup.

  “We have a lot to talk about,” he said.

  “This might be the first real talk we’ve ever had.” Her heart squeezed. Even though she was here beside him, she was still getting pulled back into the past. Back to when they were kids and she had no idea how easy it was going to be to lose him for so long.

  “What do you mean? We used to talk all the time back in high school.”

  She shook her head. “Things were easier back then. We were always in sync. We started off as friends. Then I realized I liked you and I finally told you. Then you asked me out. It was so much simpler then, Simon.”

  “I suppose it was.”

  “Then, after you broke up with me, everything changed,” she breathed.

  He frowned. “Our breakup was more a mutual decision, if I remember correctly.”

  His obliviousness was starting to rub her the wrong way. It was like he had gone off to Stanford to start an amazing life and she had been left behind, stuck with a heartbreak that almost ruined her life. Even now he couldn’t see how hard it was for her to even consider having a relationship with any man, because her heart was still so fragile. So fragile after he had so callously broken it without a backward glance.

  “Simon, you dumped me,” she said. “You weren’t cruel about it, but it definitely wasn’t mutual.”

  “That can’t be right.” He sipped his coffee. “I had just graduated, and you encouraged me go to Stanford. To follow my dreams of working with technology.”

  “I did say that but, weeks before, I thought we’d agreed to stay together in a long-distance relationship.” She sighed. “Then, you dumped me out of the blue and went off to California.”

  “Heather, I was trying to free you,” he said, confused and yet remembering how it felt for him. “I know it must’ve hurt, but I thought it was what you wanted. Your last year of high school should’ve been spent having fun. Not obsessing over someone thousands of miles away.”

  That was the last thing she’d expected to hear. Him pinning his decision on her was too much. Frustration welled up inside her. For years she had carried the heavy weight of her pain on her shoulders. Carried the weight she’d never been able to put down. Even now her shoulders were sagging underneath the strain of so much pent-up tension.

  In anger she jumped to her feet and whirled around to face him. “How dare you try to blame your decision on me.”

  “What? I’m not blaming you.” He held up his hands. “Look, you’re obviously upset from something that happened a long time ago. Why don’t you take a deep breath and—”

  “No,” she said forcefully. “After years of nothing from you, now you want to try to pretend like you didn’t practically run away from me the minute you got the chance?”

  “I didn’t run away,” he insisted.

  “Then why didn’t you ever call me?” she demanded. “Why didn’t you send me an e-mail? You must’ve heard about my wedding, because I’m pretty sure my mother told your mother about it. We were best friends for over ten years and you just bailed on me.” She snapped her fingers. “Poof. You were gone, enjoying your university crushes and parties, while I was left to remember everything about you everywhere I looked.

  He reached his hand out to her and she stepped back. Away from him trying to comfort her or placate her. She had kept her hurt and anger to herself for so long that now she was just lashing out. Unlea
shing her heartbreak so that he could finally see how much he had hurt her.

  “I...” He paused to clear his throat. “I didn’t call, because while I was in college I put Seattle behind me. I was so focused on getting my degree. I put my head down and worked. I didn’t party or—”

  “But you came back to Seattle,” she said.

  “I did.” He heaved out a loud sigh. “But by then I found out you had moved on with your life. I don’t remember getting any concrete details about you, but I knew enough to know that you probably had your own life and were over me.”

  “I never got over you.” Her breath hitched. “I’m so stupid. We broke up years ago, but I’m still not over it. Still not over wondering what would have happened if we had stayed together. What would my life be like if I had ended up with you and not Gary?”

  “Is that why you never got over things? Because Gary was a bad husband?”

  Tears filled her eyes, blurring her vision. It felt like there was a knot in her chest and she had to force air into her lungs. Remind herself to breathe. “I started dating Gary so that I could get over you.”

  A deafening silence filled the room. Now the truth was out. Everything she had held back from him was now out in the open. There was no taking it back now.

  “You’re blaming me for the fact that you chose to be with Gary?” His eyes narrowed. “You literally just accused me of blaming you for my choice to break up with you. But I’m the one being blamed for your bad marriage?”

  She brushed her tears aside in anger. “I’m not doing this.” Heart racing, she headed towards the gallery entrance, ready to walk away from him for good. It was obvious that she had let the past affect her too much. She’d held on to the pain and the shock for so long it had become a part of her.

  “Don’t walk away from me, Heather.” Simon’s footsteps sounded behind her, but she didn’t dare turn around to face him.

  She had to get out of here. Had to get away before she said something else that she couldn’t take back. Coming here to talk had been a mistake. That was obvious now.

  With the gallery entrance in sight Simon appeared in front of her, his eyes blazing with anger, his body rigid. “You promised that we were going to talk. When I said that I was going to hold you to that promise, I meant it.”