Page 167 of Trust Me

Slimy son of a bitches.

“I wanted to make you aware of this situation before our meeting. Seeing as how it looks like we cannot, in good conscious, make Kyle our COO. And we, the board, have the votes to overturn any action his father might take. I’m certain his father will understand.”

His words are regretful, yet his tone suggests he’s anything but.

That’s when something hits me. I inhale. “It’s you,” I blurt out. “You’re behind this. I knew that voice in the bathroom the night of our dinner sounded familiar. Anthony Rogers, your assistant, was there,” I say.

That day I was under Kyle’s desk, I heard his assistant’s voice then, too.

“He was working for you.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Adam says, the sympathetic expression slipping from his face.

“Is the board all here?” I demand to know. I don’t wait for his answer. I brush past him and rush out of my office to take the elevator. Bachleda follows, but I have the doors close before he can reach them.

I charge through the lobby, down to the boardroom where Kyle’s permanent promotion is supposed to take place. All heads turn to me. I quickly scan the room, noting that Kyle and his father aren’t present.

Good.

It’ll be easier for me to get this out without him in the room.

“You can’t do this,” I declare.

“Ms. Martin, you’re early for our meeting,” one of the board members states.

“I told her what we found out,” Adam says, entering the room.

“Yes,” the other guy says. “It’s unfortunate we had to find out the way we did. We do have a list of other Townsend employees who will make for great candidates as COO.”

“He’s behind all of this,” I tell them, pointing at Adam.

“This is absurd,” Adam says.

“Riley, this is highly unprofessional. I understand you’re upset,” another man from the board adds.

I feel at a loss knowing I won’t be able to prove to these men my suspicions about Adam.

“Look, whatever information you were told about me is true,” I decide to confess. “I did come into Townsend Industries with intentions to deceive the company. I was blackmailed. You heard it at the press conference.”

“But you could’ve gone to the police or to us,” Adam says. “That you didn’t is still a violation of your contract. Kyle also knew about it.”

“Kyle knew nothing about it,” I lie. “Not until the morning of the press conference.”

They all look between one another.

“It’s true,” I say, garnering their attention again. “He didn’t know. I deceived him as well. Any information that was leaked about Townsend Industries is my fault and my fault alone. He has no idea of what happened, and you shouldn’t take anything out on him.”

“What about the files that were leaked?” another board member asks. “How did Ryan Nick’s people get that?”

“Me,” Kyle says as he enters the boardroom.

Everyone goes quiet.

I blink and stare at my husband.

Kyle comes to stands beside me. “Whatever my wife just told you is all bullshit.”

Gasps fill the room. My mouth drops open in surprise.