Page 96 of Without Apology

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

Peyton

I said I understood. But I’d been lying. Not only to him but to myself. Instead of simple disappointment, I was overwhelmed with sorrow. If ever there was proof he would always pick his job over me, this was it. On a silver fucking platter. Served up for me to eat cold the way my dinner was by the time I composed myself and returned to the table with my family.

Since I didn’t want my nieces to see me sad, I left as soon as I could, driving the five miles back to my house. I told my sister I’d take a raincheck on spilling my guts, not yet able to voice my feelings. On the way home, I did stop at the grocery store to pick up the heartbreak essentials. Ice cream, port wine cheese spread, and Ritz crackers. Not to mention a big ole bottle of wine.

Halfway expecting a knock sometime in the middle of the night, I felt disappointed when none came. There wasn’t even a text message. The first time my phone did ring the next morning, it was George’s name, surprisingly, that popped up on caller ID.

“Hi, George.”

“Hi, Peyton. Sorry to bother you on a Saturday.”

“No, no it’s fine. Everything okay?”

“Yes and no. I’m hoping you might be able to come down to the office. We have a few things to clear up and could use an expert on the system. No one understands it better than you.”

“Of course. I’ll be there within the hour.”

“Thank you. Please come directly to the eighth floor. I’ll meet you there.”

I hung up the phone. Obviously, I was already aware there was an issue with the sale, given last night and having Simon leave. I was curious to find out what could’ve been so important for him to make it his priority.

After showering quickly, I donned jeans, a sweater, and boots. If I was getting called in on a weekend, I was dressing comfortably. I let Cooper out one last time, grabbed my laptop in case I’d need it, and then drove the distance to the office.

The first person I saw when I got off the elevator was Emma. She looked both tired and shocked to see me there. “Peyton. Hi. Uh, what are you doing here?”

George’s voice came from the doorway of the conference room. “I called her in.”

My eyes met his through the doorway, and he then gestured for me to join them in the conference room. As I walked in, I immediately noticed Simon. He’d changed from the clothes he’d been wearing last night, which meant somehow he’d had time to go home but not to call me. I shoved the thought to the side, my gaze landing on Tom, who appeared annoyed, and then moving on to a man I didn’t recognize.

“What is she doing here?” Tom asked. For his rudeness, he received a glare from Simon and a retort from George.

“She’s here because she’s an expert in the system, and I’m tired of wasting time. Considering she’s my officer of the company and knows the financials inside and out, not to mention can help Lyle here find what you’re looking for, I don’t expect to hear any arguments. Especially with her being gracious enough to come in on a Saturday.”

“It could be a conflict—”

I had no idea what Tom was talking about until George lost his temper. “We’ve been through this, and you have no evidence. I’d stake my entire company on the fact Peyton didn’t steal a penny.”

I sucked in a harsh breath. This is what they’d thought? More specifically, this is what Simon had thought? This is why he hadn’t told me what was happening? He believed I could be a thief.

“No one in this room would argue with you, George.” Simon held my gaze as if trying to convey a message.

“Good. Lyle, show her the spreadsheets.”

I took a seat, needing to focus on why I was here. The man I hadn’t recognized, Lyle, passed me some papers as I set up my laptop next to his. For the next hour, we pored over the numbers. I brought up the database to allow him to cross-reference the transactions in the spreadsheet to what had actually been recorded in the system.

I had to turn off my emotions and keep myself from looking at Simon. So many thoughts were running through my brain, but if I were to assist here in the conference room, I had to concentrate.

“The totals are the same on each sheet, but the individual employee amounts have changed, almost like someone redistributed the amounts,” I said after comparing to the two spreadsheets Lyle handed me regarding compensation and then cross-referencing them to the system.

“We knew that last night. Jesus, how is this helping?” This from Tom.

I was instantly annoyed by his accusation and tone. “Well, maybe if someone had told me there was a problem last night, I wouldn’t be behind what you already know. But as it is, I’m catching up. Now then, if you have an issue with me, Tom, we can spend some time clearing the air, or I can get back to work while you sit there and watch me do it. Which will it be?”

Before he could answer, Simon did it for him. “Take a walk, Tom. Come back in an hour.”

Both men stared each other down for a minute before Tom opened his mouth. “Fine, I’ll work on our trip next week to London. Let’s hope we can still leave by Wednesday.” With that, he turned on his heel and left.

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