Courage (Billionaire Secrets Series, #3) Read online

  “You’re angry,” he said. “I don’t blame you for that. All I ask is that you let me help you. Let me figure out who the real spy is so that I can clear your name.”

  “Why do you believe me anyway?” she asked, unwilling to give in now that he could finally see his error. On her way home she had imagined him apologizing to her just like he was now. She had fantasized about him groveling, but now that it was happening she was too outraged to take any satisfaction from it. His words had been too cruel.

  “I believe you because when I made those accusations, you came clean,” he said. “You told me the truth about VLA wanting you to spy for them even though it was a huge risk for you. I know you signed a non-disclosure agreement with them. Your background check already confirmed that.”

  “Telling you the truth exposes me to a lawsuit,” she said. “I signed a non-disclosure agreement, so VLA could sue me for revealing their shady tactics.” Her former employers were extremely powerful, and very few people ever dared to cross a corporate giant as big as VLA Technologies.

  He nodded. “When you told me the truth, I honestly didn’t know that they had approached you about spying.”

  “But you refused to believe me even after I confessed,” she said. “You didn’t want to hear a word I said.”

  “That’s on me,” he said. “My trust issues got in the way of good sense. I had no right to take that out on you. It’s my job to protect Dover employees, and I didn’t listen to what you had to say.”

  It couldn’t have been easy to admit that his trust issues had clouded his judgment. No. She had to harden her heart. The pain of his accusations was almost unbearable, and she couldn’t afford to lose her heart to him again. Not if he refused to trust her after everything they’d been through together. Even though he had broken her heart once, she had been willing to give him another chance. She’d extended her trust to him when he hadn’t done the same for her.

  Besides, her son needed her to be strong enough to protect him, and that meant letting go of Simon for good. She was far too vulnerable to her feelings for Simon, and it was costing her everything. If she ended up getting arrested because of Simon, she would lose her son. The only thing worse than losing Simon was losing Finn. Finn was her whole life. Without him, life was meaningless.

  “I can’t work for someone who doesn’t trust me,” she said. “When I stopped trusting the executives at VLA, it was impossible for me to take pride in my work. There’s no way I can work with you ever again.”

  “Heather, please, don’t do this,” he said. “Don’t give up on us.”

  “Us?” Indignation made her square her shoulders. “There is no us. You threw that away when you decided to accuse me. When you decided that I was a liar and a manipulator. I’m not perfect by any means. I lied at the beginning of our working relationship, but all those personal things you said about me—” Her voice hitched, and she lowered her gaze.

  Tears pricked the back of her eyes, but she wasn’t about to let him see her in distress. She refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her so vulnerable to her feelings for him.

  “I have no right to ask you if there’s still a chance for us—”

  “You’re right, you have no right. And there isn’t,” she said sharply, cutting him off. “I have no idea if I even still have a job, but I do know there’s no chance of us having a relationship.” She needed the money she made at Dover, but her heart had been ripped to shreds today. Simon had been the cause. All these years after he had first broken up with her, he had managed to smash her heart all over again.

  “So, what are you going to do to get money?” he asked. “You have your son to think about.”

  “My family is none of your business,” she snapped. “I have some extra money from my grandfather, and there’s still some of my severance pay from VLA.” Apprehension flooded her, because she didn’t feel as confident in her finances as she was letting on. With her ex-husband trying to get full custody of her son, her legal bills were mounting. The truth was, she needed a steady income. Not that she planned on admitting that to Simon. He would only think she was even more pathetic.

  “You still have to come back to Dover,” he said. “To tie up loose ends.”

  She regarded him warily. He was probably trying to use any excuse to get her back into Dover headquarters. He’d have an easier time convincing her to stay on if she was at the place she loved working. “If the board thinks I’m a spy, they’re not going to want me anywhere near Dover.”

  “They will if you meet them and tell them what you told me,” he said. “You might be able to convince them to give you a chance.”

  “Why bother? They’ve probably made up their minds the way you did.”

  “Heather, if the board believes you’re guilty they won’t hesitate to hand you over to the police,” he told her. “On my way over here I managed to get the cops on this case to back off from you. But that won’t last long.”

  Her blood froze. “What? Why didn’t you tell me I had to worry about the police?”

  “I assumed you knew that.” He frowned. “Besides, you didn’t seem interested in hearing me out.”

  “You weren’t interested in hearing me out either,” she said. “Not when it mattered. Not when I needed you the most.”

  The tears threatened to fall. She whirled around, keeping her back to him. If she was going to cry, she wasn’t going to let him actually see her tears.

  If the police got involved, she might lose her son. No court could accept her keeping custody of Finn is she ended up in jail for this. Her ex-husband would be able to take Finn away from her, and no matter how much she tried to shield her son from his neglect the truth was, Gary was an absent father. Even when they had been married he had failed to step up. She’d never actually admitted that to herself and it frightened her. If Finn ended up with Gary, his childhood would be shattered.

  Simon’s strong hands gripped her shoulders and she felt his warm breath caress the sensitive skin on the back of her neck. More than anything, she wanted to lean against his body and take comfort in his arms. But if she did that, she would lose everything. She had been so blinded by her feelings for him that she had failed to protect herself. And now her son was in danger because of it.

  “I can’t make you see how sorry I am,” he said. “Just don’t make any sudden decisions in anger. At least come back to Dover and talk to the board.”

  She bit her lip, weighing her options in her mind. Not only did she stand to lose her job and her income, but she could also end up going to jail for something she didn’t do. Heather hated to admit it, but Simon was right. Her best chance was to talk to the board and convince them of her innocence. That might keep her out of jail.

  But the thought of fighting to stay as Simon’s assistant made her heart heavy. She needed money to protect Finn, but how was she going to bear seeing Simon every day after this?

  Heather sucked in a breath and stepped out of his grasp. “I’ll talk to the board tomorrow. Don’t bother trying to help me, Simon, because I don’t need you anymore. I plan on clearing my name without your help.”

  Chapter 2

  Rounding up all of Dover’s board members was never easy, even when they wanted to meet. But as Simon watched them gather in the large conference room the next morning, he got the distinct feeling that none of them wanted to be there. Heather looked like she wanted to be there the least of all. All the color had drained from her face and she was absently tapping her foot.

  He sensed her anxiety, but he knew she’d only rebuff him if he tried to comfort her. His impulsive response after he found out his home system had been hacked had destroyed everything. What he wouldn’t do to go back and undo the things he had said to her in the heat of his anger.

  The board members exchange annoyed looks, clearly agitated at having to deal with an issue they thought the police had already handled. It was obvious they had expected the police to have hauled Heather off to jail, but Simon ha
d managed to keep the cops away. For now.

  Simon cleared his throat loudly, which the board members all took as a signal to take their seats.

  Heather glanced over at him, apprehension flashing in her hazel eyes.

  The longer he let the silence go on, the more anxious she was likely to be. It was best to get this over with. She might not want his help but, if he could help her without her knowing, he’d do it. That was the least he could do after his mistakes.

  “Shall we get this meeting started? I didn’t have time to print up an agenda, but there are some things we need to go over. Ms. Heather Hall has a right to heard.” He glanced around the room sternly, waiting for someone to speak up and say no. He almost dared them.

  But nobody said a word. Lips were pressed into thin flat lines, but no one argued.

  He then let Heather sit down to plead her case to the board. She laid out all the evidence she had about the electricians, and though she reached for a glass of water a few times he thought she handled the stressful situation like a pro.

  Everett Eastman gave her a hard stare. That look alone could reduce even the strongest person to a bundle of nerves. “So, what exactly are you asking for, Ms. Hall?”

  She stared across the table at Everett, never averting her gaze. “I’m asking for basic fairness. Keep giving me the chance to prove my innocence. This meeting today is a good step in that direction.”

  Everett arched an eyebrow, no doubt surprised that she hadn’t fallen apart under his withering gaze. Usually Heather was nothing but deferential to Everett, her shyness sometimes getting the best of her. But seeing her face him like this stunned Simon. There was something so formidable about her in this moment.

  Yesterday she had seemed so rattled after he came to her house to apologize. She’d flat out rejected his apology, and he had seen how her eyes shone with unshed years. Yet now she looked so strong in front of all these board members that Simon could only stare at her in amazement.

  “How exactly do you plan to plead your case?” Everett asked. “If we’re speaking in merely legal terms, I would understand why you’d mount such a rigorous defense. But this isn’t a court of law. Dover is your employer. We have serious grounds to not only fire you but also give the police any evidence they ask for.”

  She swallowed hard. “I understand that you have obligations when it comes to the police, but Dover doesn’t have any solid proof that I did what you’re accusing me of doing. Not only that, you didn’t give me a warning or a fair hearing. I had to request this meeting on short notice. Nobody at Dover allowed me the chance to defend myself.”

  A low hum of chatter filled the room and Everett held his hands up for silence.

  “Does this mean you’re asking us to let you stay on at Dover?” Everett asked.

  That made Heather look at Simon.

  He fought the urge to say something and stand up for her. If he made it obvious that he was trying to help her, she would do something impulsive and make a decision she couldn’t undo.

  “Yes,” she finally said. “I’m asking to be allowed to stay on at Dover while I work to prove my innocence.”

  Someone muttered, “Innocent until proven guilty.”

  “You are asking a great deal,” Everett said. “In a situation like this, the most generous outcome we’d likely come to is to suspend you. Without pay. We’re not even obligated to give you your final paycheck, considering the accusations against you.”

  She took a sharp breath, but quickly composed herself. “I understand what you’re saying. I know I’m asking a lot, but I truly feel that I should have been given more of a chance. And if I’m given a chance now, I won’t let you down.”

  Everett leaned back in his chair. “The board will convene over this. If you would be so kind as to step out of the room, Ms. Hall, the board can discuss this further. Then, after we’ve come to an agreement, we’ll inform you of our decision.”

  Heather got to her feet and forced a smile. “I’ll wait outside while you discuss everything. Thank you so much for the opportunity.” Before Everett could respond she hurried out of the conference room, no doubt trying to escape before he changed his mind and outright fired her.

  Everett turned to him. “Simon? What do you think?”

  If he was going to help Heather, he knew he would have to choose his next words carefully. She might think she didn’t need his help, but she did. Simon was her only ally at Dover, and he intended to do whatever it took to protect her. He’d dropped the ball when he accused her. It was now time to do everything in his power to rectify that.

  “She has a fair point,” Simon said. “The board didn’t file a formal complaint—which is my fault. I went in and accused her without any evidence, and no one has reported any bad behavior on her part.”

  “So, you think she’s innocent now?” Everett frowned. “That’s not what you thought yesterday. Yesterday you were convinced of her guilt. What’s changed?”

  “You heard her yourself,” Simon replied. “There are now other leads. Other suspects.”

  “Yes, but she’s still the most convincing suspect we have for this crime,” one of the board members interrupted. “Wouldn’t it be foolish to keep her on if she turns out to be a spy?”

  He realized he was losing the room. Appealing to reason or compassion wasn’t going to work. The board members only cared about themselves. Simon had no interest in corporate politics, but it was obvious that only self-preservation was going to sway them now. “It might end up being foolish to fire her.”

  “How so?” Everett asked.

  “Heather mentioned it herself earlier,” Simon replied. “She wasn’t given a chance to respond to the charges, and the police were immediately called. If it turns out that she is innocent, she’ll have the perfect grounds to sue us for wrongful termination.”

  Everett paused. “Firing her might have far worse consequences than keeping her on.”

  “But we can’t just let her stay on if there’s a cloud hanging over her,” another board member pointed out. “What would the rest of the staff think?”

  “Some of them would resent it,” Simon admitted. “But the rest might approve of us trying to figure out the truth.”

  “Simon, I’m going to have to ask you to step outside and wait while the rest of the board deliberates,” Everett said.

  Simon narrowed his eyes, suspicious that Everett was trying to freeze him out of this. He couldn’t allow that to happen. “What? Why?”

  “Because you’re too close to this,” Everett replied. “If your assistant does turn out to be the spy, she’ll have managed to pull it off through you. Look, I don’t want to bring up your private life, but we have to face facts. You’re too biased. Your input on your assistant’s continued employment at Dover would be far too unethical.”

  Urgency made his heart hammer in his chest. Everything Everett said was true, but if Simon didn’t have a say in the board’s decision then he had no way of protecting Heather. “I can set aside my biases if that’s what it takes.”

  “You can’t,” Everett said, his tone disapproving. “If you care about protecting Dover from a lawsuit like you say you do, the worst thing you can do is be a part of this decision-making process.”

  His insides churned as the truth of Everett’s words hit him. As desperate as he was to protect Heather, there was no way he could help make this decision. After they’d first been intimate, he had made sure that he no longer had the power to evaluate Heather’s work and decide if she stayed beyond her initial three months. Which meant that deciding her fate now would be completely unfair.

  It pained him to leave her vulnerable to the board, but his conscience would never allow him to do otherwise.

  Simon got to his feet and nodded in Everett’s direction. “You’re right.”

  “I know you’ve always tried to be fair,” Everett murmured. “We’ll keep that in mind while we deliberate.”

  “Thank you,” he said with a grim nod. />
  He stepped out of the conference room and found Heather sitting in the waiting area nearby.

  “Have they made a decision already?” Heather asked, her voice shrill with panic.

  “No,” he said. “The board just wanted to make a decision without me. It appears it would be unethical for me to help them make a decision about your employment.”

  She tilted her head and adjusted the glasses perched primly on her nose. “Why?”

  “Because of our... situation.” He cleared his throat when her eyes went wide. “We had a personal relationship beyond our work at Dover, and that means I’m biased. I wouldn’t intend to be biased, but that doesn’t change anything.”

  Color bloomed in her cheeks and she let out a shaky breath. “Right. That.”

  The silence that followed was almost unbearable. There was so much he wanted to say to her, but she had made herself more than clear yesterday. She was obviously still angry, and he didn’t blame her. Part of him hoped that, if he gave her some space and a chance to cool off, she’d let him in again. Forgive him and give them another chance.

  But the rational part of him knew that ship had sailed. He’d lost Heather because he had been so screwed up by his own issues that he’d piled them onto her. Projected every betrayal he’d ever endured onto the one person who had always been on his side.

  The way she was sizing him up now—a mixture of bitterness and disappointment in her eyes—was all the proof he needed to know that they were truly over.

  Needing to push through the silence he leaned against the conference room door, straining to hear something. He might not be able to make the decisions, but it paid to be prepared.

  “Oh, trust me, I already tried that,” she said softly. “You can’t hear anything.”

  He forced out a sigh and turned to face her. “I guess we have no choice but to sit here and wait.”