Page 170 of Priceless

“The day we left for the honeymoon. When I was at the Caldwell Estate. He came in right as I was leaving.”

Joseph glared at me, silently. He didn’t seem to know why he was here, but he wasn’t happy about it. Everett pulled me against him and kissed my temple. “Thank you,” he whispered. “Now there’s a witness to their collusion.”

“He looks like a weasel,” I whispered back.

My husband suddenly had a coughing fit, and in my chest I felt how hard he was laughing. But he got it under control and stood taller, ready to finish this off. They’d agreed to let me handle the first bit, and I felt their pride. Now, I was happy to let them take the reins.

With a wave of a hand, our security closed the salon doors.

“What’s going on, Everett?” Joseph asked.

“We know.”

“Know what?”

Cameron chuckled. “Everything. You know you actually wove your own downfall by pushing us to marry? If you hadn’t, you might have gotten further. But it was that decision that unraveled everything for you.”

We didn’t have the same scent canceller in here, and several scents were turning distinctly sour. Joseph still held on to his relaxed demeanor. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Winking at me, Cameron slid his hands into his pockets and stepped forward. He’d asked permission for this, so I knew it was coming. “What I’m talking about is us finding our scent matched Omega. One of the many reasons we married so quickly. And then we went on our honeymoon, and in the course of usual honeymoon activities, one of our lovely Extasis toys broke.

“Now, we design products that are only the best, so that was unusual. Would you like me to continue?”

Frank sneered. “What the fuck does your sex life have to do with any of us?”

“We never said it had anything to do with you.” Everett tilted his head. “But now that you’ve spoken up, we know your role in this as well if you’d like to get the confession over with.”

“I’m leaving,” Joseph said.

Micah sighed. “No, you’re not.”

The security guards at the door blocked Joseph’s path. He growled, but they didn’t move. I thought he might try to hit them. Given the demonstration I’d been given after they were hired, I kind of wanted to see him try.

“Let’s get this over with,” Everett said. “We know that you’ve been deliberately sabotaging Zenith Incorporated’s products, and those of its subsidiaries, in order to make higher profits and get shareholders off your back. We know you went to Frank to continue this plan and use our marriage to Ocean to further weaken our position when your distraction plan didn’t work. We know you wanted to take over Zenith and take it in an entirely different direction with a new set of investors. Along with one hell of a salary bump.”

“You covered your tracks well,” Cameron said. “I’ll give you that. But not well enough.”

“What are you going to do to me?” Joseph scoffed. “Nothing I did was illegal. Changing the materials of products isn’t a crime. Nor are conversations about potential business maneuvers.”

Micah came over to stand with me, slinging a casual arm around my shoulders. He seemed at ease, but inside I felt he was anything but. They were all taut as bowstrings, ready to snap if these men broke the wrong way. “You’re right. Those things aren’t crimes. But corporate espionage? That is a crime.”

“She never gave us shit. Talking about something isn’t a crime.” Sweat shone on Joseph’s forehead. Did he realize he’d just admitted it?

“Of course. But did you ever provide our internal numbers to people outside of Zenith in an attempt to sway them to your plan?” Everett asked. But he wasn’t really asking. We already knew the answer.

Micah stepped away from me to join Cam and Rett, the three of them staring down Joseph with a wall of raw Alpha power.

It was fucking hot.

“Here’s what’s about to happen. The Board of Directors is being informed of your crimes, with ample proof, as we speak. We are formally pressing charges against you for corporate espionage, among several other things. Your lawyers will tell you soon, I’m sure.” Cameron smiled. All of them were enjoying this.

Hell, I was enjoying it too.

Joseph blinked. And again. He sputtered. “You can’t just do this.”

Everett cleared his throat. “According to the Zenith bylaws, if a member of the board is engaged in any criminal activity, they can be removed without a vote of the board, and the majority shareholders can appoint a replacement, effective immediately. This is the official notice of your removal.”

One of our guards peeked out the door and nodded. Two uniformed police officers entered and approached Joseph. He lunged for the door, but they were faster. The whole party watched as he was walked out in cuffs, and behind us, Frank and Laura were edging toward the other doors.

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