Page 40 of Conquered Obstacles

My mouth fell open to see him on location with Justine—my attorney—and Poseidon—as Morgan—talking about how Knight Developments was ready to take the next step into making more eco-friendly buildings. And he planned to start with the promise he made to support Karma Bakery in housing the growing number of employees we were saving from being homeless.

Plus, he hoped this was going to be the new standard for businesses going forward instead of always worried about profit margins and making the rich wealthier. To put his own money where his mouth was, he was pledging to work at a reduced rate with any company in the country who would hire a similar workforce as I had and needed housing to make it happen.

“Shit, I might forgive the man if he grovels a bit more,” Irene muttered. “Seriously, that is a man who will support you through sickness and health.”

I think I nodded, too shocked to really know what my body was doing at the moment.

He went on and on about how other companies said they would do more or said they would plant trees to help with their carbon footprint, but most times it was barely preserving forests already there. Or replanting forests cut down. That wasn’t the same thing, and those companies knew it.

I had invested vast wealth to help Boston and paid my employees above standard—treated them better, and others in the industry hated me for it. Who didn’t hate me for it? My employees. He’d spoken to a lot of them, and every single one had nothing but glowing things to say about me, from being kind to their kids to understanding that they were slow to learn.

He went on and on, without giving names, that I’d helped one who had lost her husband find a support system and help with her young kid, given her the means to a life after losing love and a safe home without burdening her in-laws. I shot Irene a look, and she nodded like she knew he was going to talk about her.

And how I’d given a raise so one of my employees could afford to put her mom into a home that she needed instead of going into poverty taking care of her by herself when she wasn’t qualified. Or helping to pay off debt and find a better living situation.

On and on he went, saying that I wasn’t a boss but a keystone species that made the lives of people around me better. That I was flexible and understanding of my workers who were in school and made sure that was their priority and they had balance to their lives. That I wasn’t just a business owner, but a role model, and that was why people supported me.

And he wanted to support me—my vision of how to do better and be a responsible corporation. The system was broken in too many ways, and red tape and bureaucracies ate the funds meant to help people, so we had to find new ways, and I was that way. The model I had laid out was that way.

Wow. Just… Wow.

I was floored but also glad that Poseidon had a way to be introduced as an eco-friendly businessman so we could get his cover going and more power for him. I didn’t care it was in my realm and not the oceans. I could use the help, and we were working for the same thing so… We should never have broken it all up and worked together instead.

We could learn from it now.

But I was completely floored at the speech Colton had made, so nothing upset me more than to find people at the factory trying to hide pictures of him from me Wednesday night. I didn’t realize the photos were of him, but just they were hiding something.

I gave the teenagers a look and waved for the phone, worried they were up to something bad.

“We didn’t want your feelings to be hurt even if you guys split,” one of them said quietly as she handed it over.

That didn’t make sense until I saw a picture of Colton opening a door for a gorgeous woman and leading her inside with his hand on her lower back. It was on social media with some comments about the hotel and the match they would make, blah, blah, and blah.

And it was posted about five minutes ago, taken recently.

“I’m sure it’s about business and it’s fine,” I told them as I handed back the phone. “You were being squirrely, so I thought you were in trouble. We have too much to do to worry about gossip.” I gave them a wink and went to handle what I needed to.

With steam practically coming out of my ears.

“Oh yeah, that’s fine for sure,” Renee said under her breath.

“Do you want me to ask Kary or Mary to kick your ass?” I growled.

She snorted. “Nope, but I’m going to find out where the fuck he is and who the woman is and send it to your phone.”

“I don’t care,” I argued.

She gave me a look that she didn’t believe me… Nor did she blame me for being upset.

Right? He had just been professing his undying feelings for me and offering to give up his magic so I would give him another chance, and he’s walking into a hotel with some gorgeous woman?

“I’m done and heading out,” I said as I went for my vehicle.

I might have used my power to skip a few heavy traffic areas and speed along so I was back by the bakery faster than actually possible. Right as I parked, Renee had the information to me.

He was apparently having dinner with the woman at the hotel’s restaurant, and it was one that I had a deal with. The restaurant might be in the hotel, but it was its own entity, and the owner was the head chef.

He was on a date with a gorgeous woman at one of the places I made the desserts?

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