Page 55 of Return on Love

“How, Eva? You’re in Boston and I’m not allowed to go anywhere near the office. Next Monday is when they’ve called all the Partners and Senior Partners to present the investigation results. If it is as you say, my career, my reputation, everything will go for a toss.”

The stress and tension in Bernard’s voice is clear. He’s always been so in control that it hurts me to hear him like this.

“I’ll figure something out. Do you and Weber have any problems?”

“Weber? No. You think he’s behind this?”

“Is he capable of doing this to you? Anything he has to gain?”

“Well, with one partner leaving, it obviously opens up doors for him to become one. But, while Weber and I often have opposing views on things, I don’t think he’ll fall down to such levels.”

Could I be mistaken? I don’t think so. We’ve all realized what stupid games Weber can play. But now I plan to beat him at his own game.

“Don’t worry Bernard. I’ve got your back. I’ll ensure the truth comes out.”

“Thanks, Eva. And how’s your work at MooreGames? Not sure whether anyone will vote for them if the investigation finds me guilty. Tell Ryan I’m sorry.”

“Ryan is fine. So is MooreGames. We’ve come up with some strategies and honestly, if our firm doesn’t fund them, there’ll be others who will. Right now, we need to focus on you. If you figure out how or when Weber could’ve sent that email from your inbox, lemme know. I’ll figure out how to get you out of this mess. I promise.”

Ryan is still scratching Max when I disconnect the call and sit down on the chair. I tell him the gist of what we discussed.

“If I see Weber again, I think I’ll just punch his stupid face.” He pauses for a while. “Should we actually do it? Go to LA, find Weber, and beat him till he accepts what he’s done. How dare he treat Bernard like this?”

I look at Ryan, astonished. “Really! Do you plan on going around the country, engaging in physical altercations with people? Great way to raise funds for your company. Bernard would be so proud of you. And so will Jen.”

“I’m sorry,” he says, lowering his gaze and making a fist so tight that his knuckles turn white. “I’m just so angry at that man. He gave me wrong advice, suggested that you’re sabotaging me. And now this.” His breathing is heavy. “You can’t just expect me to sit quietly on the sidelines, can you?”

“No. I have a plan. I need to think about it. It’s getting late. I need to go home now, or else I’ll have to go to your office in Emily’s clothes. And what’ll your team think about that?” I smile and flutter my eyes.

“Nothing. They fit you so well. The team won’t even notice. And as far as thinking goes, we could do it together,” Ryan says, giving a wink.

“That’s exactly the reason I need to go back. Thinking together right now, means not thinking at all.”

“What do you have in mind, girl? Don’t tell me you want this body again?” He opens his mouth wide, in a mock shock. “You, Eva, have a dirty, dirty mind.”

“You haven’t even seen the beginning of how dirty I can get,” I say, ruffling his hair.

“Oh my. You can’t leave after saying that. C’mon girl. Stay. I’ll drop you early in the morning. Or I’ll drive down and get some of your clothes here.”

I laugh. “Maybe some other time.”

He comes over and holds me by the shoulder. “Are you sure you wanna go back?”

I nod, getting serious. “You know this was a one-time thing, right? Also, I need to check some files on my laptop.”

Ryan drops me home. The kiss by the door is long and sensuous. If it wasn’t for Bernard occupying so much space in my head, I don’t think I could’ve let him go.

The email from office about the rescheduled partner’s quarterly meeting has finally arrived. I do a deep dive on all my clients once more. Are there any other clients at risk besides James? All have gotten back with updates. Nothing seems amiss. I try to recollect the other clients that Bernard had. Hayden! He’ll know. I call him up. It’s late, but he picks up.

“So, you’ve heard?” he asks.

“Any idea which clients they’re talking about?”

“Nope. None of mine. I’ve checked with all of them. Bernard is unreachable. What about you?”

I tell him about James, just the app pre-launch, leaving out the part about the fabricated email.

“That’s the one then. It has to be. I heard Weber mention it is just one client, and he said Bernard’s favorite associate handled it. That has to be you, right?”

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