Page 49 of Hate Notes

Even as guilt about Cole and the Davenport situation nagged at me, I couldn't deny that something real was developing between Orion and me. I just hoped I could figure out how to come clean before it was too late. Because if it wasn’t for the little fib about why I wanted the job in the first place, I would have said things were shaping up to be great. All we needed was a little time.

I worked a little while longer, then decided to engage in one of my recently discovered guilty pleasures before bed. I pulled outmy phone and found one of the influencers who filmed Orion’s hate note sessions every day.

There was a video from this morning I hadn’t watched yet.

To everybody’s surprise, Patricia Rosh herself had started delivering Orion’s hate notes two days ago. Apparently, she was flooded with applications once people found out how much Orion was paying her employees in bribes. People who had no intentions of being real or long-term employees were applying in hopes of winning an assignment to Orion and the subsequent cash payout he’d give them before they got fired.

I watched the rail-thin woman in her sixties read Orion a few notes. Surprisingly, he stood tall and let her read them with the faintest smile on his lips the whole time, almost as if he was enjoying seeing her demean herself.

But unlike when I first watched his hate note routine, the stack of cards had dwindled dramatically in size. Now, he was only getting two or three per day, if that.

I smiled, mostly because I was totally checking out Orion in his suit and thinking how this video had only been taken half an hour before he called me into his office and started our little email arrangement. It made me wonder if he was thinking of me, even then.

I chewed my lip and curled up with the video. Once it finished, I started it over to watch just one more time.

23

ORION

"You're staring again," Remmy said, appearing at my elbow with two glasses of champagne. She handed me one, grinning. "That's the third time in ten minutes. I counted."

Most years, I had to practically beg Remmy to attend these events. Most years, Ididbeg her because her presence helped me feel more at ease in the social chaos. Remmy always teased that she loved coming, but loved hearing me beg even more.

This year, she hadn't even waited to be asked, and I was fairly sure I knew why. My little sister had a keen eye and seemed to know I was infatuated with Ember.

"I'm observing my employee's networking skills," I said stiffly.

"Uh-huh. And I'm sure that's why you keep looking at her like she's water in the desert." She bumped my shoulder playfully. "Mom's thrilled, by the way. She thinks Ember's perfect for you."

"There's nothing between us," I said automatically, though the thought of our nightly exchanges made heat crawl up my neck.

"Right. Just like there was nothing between you at the art gallery? Or at dinner?" She raised an eyebrow. "I saw how you looked at each other that night."

"Remmy—"

"No, listen." Her voice softened. "You know, it's okay to want something for yourself sometimes, Ry. Dad wouldn't have wanted you to spend your whole life just... providing for everyone else."

I tightened my grip on my glass. "The company?—"

"Will still be there if you take a chance on being happy." She touched my arm. "I remember how you were after Dad died. How you started wearing his old ties even though they were too big. How you insisted on paying the bills even though Mom had it covered. You were twelve, Orion. And now you’ve given me and mom so much security it’s silly. But when will it be enough? When can you finally relax and think about yourself?”

“Someone had to step up,” I said, ignoring most of her points.

Remmy gave me a look that said she knew I was being evasive, but didn’t press me on it. “You did. You always do,” she added with a sad smile. "But we're okay now. Mom and I are okay. Maybe it's time you let yourself be okay too."

Before I could respond, a familiar and unwelcome voice cut through the crowd.

"Orion Foster," Cole Northman said, striding over with his usual smug smile. "Quite the party. Though I expected nothing less from Manhattan's most... rigid CEO."

A young woman in a designer dress preened at his side. She met my eyes and seemed to push her chest out, as if daring me to look.

I kept my gaze on Cole.

"Northman," I said coldly. "I wasn't aware you were invited."

"Oh, I donated generously to the cause. Cancer research, isn't it? Very noble." His eyes drifted to where Ember stood, and something in his expression made my jaw clench. "I see you hired new talent."

"Miss Hartwell has been an excellent addition to our team," I said carefully.

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