Page 152 of He Loves Me Knot

Aiden dipped his chin. “I’ll just come out with it. I spent the morning on the phone with the head of human resources at Camden. Apparently, a complaint was filed against you by one of your employees—Miranda Kaster.”

Oh fuck.

“What was the nature of the complaint?”

“Sexual harassment.”

“Listen—” The details of that drunken stupidity in the alley near his flat the day before the flight seemed less clear. “The whole thing was after hours, in a bar, once I was already drunk. I didn’t initiate anything. She followed me home, practically threw herself at me, then tried to bribe me when I turned her down. We kissed, but it hardly went beyond that.”

Aiden stared at him, and his brows drew together. “Good to know. If that’s true, it certainly helps with context.” He cleared his throat, his neck growing red as he rubbed the back of it. “That wasn’t the complaint, though, mate.”

If that’s true?

Why the fuck wouldn’t Aiden believe him?

Callum stared at him in disbelief. “What do you mean?”

Aiden leaned forward, setting his elbows on his knees. “She claimed that you’ve coerced Lydia Winnick to enter into some sort of sham sexual relationship. I think she used the word ‘blackmailed.’ And, unfortunately, she had texts from Liddy from the day of your flight down here together.”

Aiden leaned across his bed and grabbed his phone. He swiped it open, then turned the phone toward Callum, holding it out for him to take.

Callum almost didn’t reach for the phone. He didn’t want to read the texts.

Because whatever is written there is just a sign that Liddy can’t be trusted.

He didn’t want to know that.

Didn’t want to believe that the woman he was falling for could be so duplicitous.

But it’s happened before, hasn’t it? A woman you loved has betrayed you.

He hesitated, then took the phone.

Liddy:I think our boss just sank to an all-time low.

Miranda: Oh . . . what now?

Liddy:Long story short . . . my sister’s wedding dress was stolen. Callum knows where the guy who stole it is heading. He refuses to tell me where, though, unless I pretend to be his girlfriend. Apparently, his ex-fiancée is going to be at the hotel, and he doesn’t want to show up alone.

Miranda:Stop. He did not.

Liddy:Don’t worry, I told him to go to hell.

He’d known Liddy and Miranda were friends and flatmates.

And he’d known Miranda had told Liddy about that foolish kiss in London.

But he hadn’t expected this.

Maybe he’d been naive, but he’d assumed Liddy hadn’t told Miranda about their arrangement.

Callum could barely look Aiden in the eye, his head pounding. “This says nothing about a sexual relationship.”

“That part was apparently relayed by a phone call. Miss Kaster claimed Liddy said you were pressuring her into sexual relations.”

Was it possible?

Think, Cal. Miranda is a liar. You know that.

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