Page 112 of Falling for the Boss's Son

“No,” they both said in unison.

Cassie was determined not to give up. If they were talking, it would buy time for Jesse to find her. “I can’t help if I don’t understand what the issue is.”

Sandy’s response was sharp. “You’ve helped enough already. We wouldn’t even be here if you’d kept your nose out of things that didn’t concern you.”

“What did I do?” She had a feeling she knew, but she wanted confirmation.

“Oh, let me count the ways.” It was Sandy who’d answered, although her reply hadn’t really answered anything.

“This isn’t helping.” This time Crystal’s voice came from farther away. “It wasn’t meant to be like this.”

“How was it supposed to be, then?” Sandy asked.

“I just wanted what was mine. Grayson said it would be easy. No one was supposed to get hurt.” Crystal sounded as if she were on the verge of tears.

The whole thing made no sense. The only Grayson she knew was the head of IT. “Grayson Hyde?”

A slap resonated from somewhere nearby. “There you go again. Why don’t you just tell her everything.”

Cassie ignored Sandy’s comment and pressed on. She had to keep Crystal talking. “What did Grayson say would be easy?”

Neither woman spoke for several moments, but Cassie could feel the tension in the room.

“Crystal?” Cassie kept her voice calm even though she felt anything but.

“He said there was a way to skim money from the accounts. It wasn’t supposed to be a big deal. He said no one would miss it. Blake wouldn’t miss it.”

Blake? What did Jesse’s dad have to do with this?

“But you found it,” Sandy said with a level of disdain Cassie didn’t understand.

Ignoring Sandy, Cassie directed her question to Crystal, who seemed more willing to share information. “Why would you want to take money from Blake?” It felt strange calling her boss by his first name like that, but she decided to go with it.

Again, there was no response for the longest time. So long, in fact, Cassie didn’t think she was going to get an answer. And when she did get an answer, it didn’t come from Crystal. “It’s the least he owes her. Jesse and Beks have had everything in life handed to them.”

It took her muddled brain a moment to make the connection. Jesse and Beks? What…?

Somehow everything began to make sense in a strange sort of way. The missing money. The missing contract. And even Crystal’s part in it all.

Cassie didn’t want to believe it, but whether it was true or not, it was clear Crystal did. “Crystal, is Blake Master’s your father?”

CHAPTER 27

Jesse had been going over a client issue someone had brought to his attention when his father knocked on his office door. It was rare Blake Masters visited the other departments. Most of the time, they came to him.

“I didn’t expect to see you down here in the trenches.”

Blake smiled. “I thought I’d make an exception today.”

He motioned for his dad to take a seat. “I’m guessing Craig brought you up to speed?”

“Yes.” Blake frowned. “I’m still trying to figure out why. He’s not only ruined his career, but he’s looking at jail time.”

“Maybe he thought he wouldn’t get caught.”

“Maybe. But he knew we were looking at the discrepancies in the accounting. Why take the chance?”

Jesse didn’t have an answer. “Craig getting anything out of him?”

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