Page 53 of One Rule

For the matter, how did the receptionist know?

I hadn’t caught on to that.The fuck?

Did Micah tell the company? From the corner of my eye, I catch Ligo and Isaac talking, both oblivious to my being here, but I’m tempted to interrupt and ask how much they know.

And if they do, was it because of their security job or—

“…so can we?”

“I’m sorry what?”

Beverly giggles, and both men look over giving her a hard stare. Not both of us, just her. “So silly, Liliana. I was asking if we could step into the stairwell and talk for a moment. Away from prying eyes.”

“Why? The real reason, Beverly?”

“Because I have the answer to the questions you’re asking yourself. Because there is a traitor—”

“Lead the way.”

Maybe it’s stupid and naïve for me to go with her, especially since we’re out of sight, but at the moment, I’m running on impulse. To put it all behind me. To stop someone else from being hurt.

The stairs are seldom used in this building outside of employees wanting to make their step goals for the day, and I find the lighting to be too dimmed for my liking. It’s warmer than the lobby, too, but none of that truly matters when we go up four flights before she stops in front of the exit door.

“It was never personal, you know,” she says, head turned to look at me from over her shoulder. The same snide expression she’s always worn back in place, and the feelings of something being off return. I didn’t listen to my intuition in the lobby. I let her take me out of a room full of witnesses and traded it for whatever this was. “You were just in my way. My aspirations in life aren’t to be the glorified coffee maker for an executive, but to marry one, and that can’t happen if he only has eyes for you.”

“The hell are you babbling on about? Who’s the traitor?” Instead of answering, Beverly knocks on the door three times before the handle turns and he steps through, smug satisfaction coming off him in waves. “Seriously? You?”

“Hello, Ms. Armas.” Jeremy steps fully onto the landing, in his hand there’s a gun. “It’s been a while since our last conversation…I do apologize for that.”

“What the hell is this, Jeremy? What games are you playing at?”

“I’m just a man securing his future, Liliana.” In the past, I saw him as just another man who faded into the background when in the presence of Micah. Nothing about him stood out to me, but after today that will never be the case. “A future, that you’ll be helping me finance with that beautiful mind of yours. Because you truly are remarkable, Ms. Armas. It’s been a pleasure watching you outgrow your peers these last few months, completely oblivious to how everyone looks at you.”

“There’s nothing special about her,” Beverly hisses lowly from my left, and his eyes flash to hers. It’s a slow movement, the lecherous expression on his face becoming dark hate as his gaze makes her shift back a step. “You said she was just a means to an end.”

“I said whatever I needed to gain your compliance, Beverly,” he sneers her name, his fingers twitching on the trigger of his gun. “But you were too stupid to see through that. Your vanity is your downfall.”

“This isn’t part of our agreement. Be done with her already.”

“Know your place, bitch.”

“There’s a traitor in the Royce company, Liliana. He’s been paid a lot of money—made promises by the same people involved in your father and brother’s accident. Be careful, honey. This isn’t over.”

“Because I need your help, Lili. So does Micah.”

They spread the news because they knew about my father and it wasn’t because of Micah. He’s who the person behind the transfers paid and made promises to—what they offered him, I don’t know—but I have a feeling it has to do with my firewall project.

“You stole from me,” I say, putting myself closer to the steps in case he decides to shoot. I’ll take my chances stumbling down the stairs than making this easy for him. “You took my work and tried to pass it off as yours, but you failed at that…didn’t you? Did Micah turn down your pitch, or did the prototype you built fail?”

“Doesn’t matter now.” His head’s shaking as he follows, seeing my intent. Then, there’s the silent threat not to move. “You’ll sign the release and then I’ll make you disappear. Just like Uncle Joseph said.”

Is he talking about Joseph Wilburn? Dad’s deputy mayor?

Jesus, this is horrible. Disgusting.

The more I think of each time that asshole ate dinner with us after being elected, and even beforehand. For a while, he was a regular while trying to run a successful campaign to be elected under my father as his second in command. Then, there was the slogan I provided to kick things off, doing anything I could to help them both.

Dad took him under his wing and this is how he pays him back?

---