Page 54 of Billion Dollar Dispute

“You think you can come in here, throw money around, and take over,” he snaps.

His accusation and rapid breathing tell me he’s struggling with addiction, and his jittery body language and sheen of sweat on his forehead don’t help either.

“Jealousy is a bad trait,” I counter.

Danny snorts. “I’m not jealous of you.”

“You’d have money if you didn’t blow it on drugs.”

“I don’t do drugs.”

“Denial won’t help you.”

He stares at me, the wheels turning in his head before his head and voice drop. “Don’t tell Jemima,” he pleads.

“Prove to me you’re worth keeping around, then. If it were up to me, you’d be gone.”

“I’ve been here for ten years.”

“And probably using the entire fucking time, hiding behind the ‘family friend’ card.”

“What are you going to do?” Danny's voice wobbles as he realizes the implications.

I rub my jaw, thinking, my eyes narrowing as I consider my response. “I don’t know yet.”

He straightens up, determination etched in his face. “I’ll work harder than before, and I’ll stop using.”

I shake my head slightly, feeling frustration rising. “Don’t lie. You won’t give up shit, but at least take your job seriously for Jemima's sake. She only sees the good in you.”

Piece of shit. This is going to devastate her. Another person letting her down.

He leaves, and I lean on the sink, needing a second to think. Telling Jemima about Danny's secret will crush her. I need to protect her. I need to get rid of him without her knowing. I need to shield her from the truth. “Fuck!” I slam my hands on the sink.

Pulling out my phone, I call my private investigator, who informs me it was Danny who made the account errors and embezzled money. He found discrepancies between physical cash count and recorded amounts, creating fake vendors with unusual details, unusual check numbers and error in bank account numbers. He will send me an email with the proof.

I fucking knew something was up with him.

Marching into my office, I scan the email and then the papers I found with the questionable transactions. The sloppy bastard left his trail all through it. It’s so fucking obvious now.

The first thing I do is hide the papers. Carefully, I tuck them away, and then transfer some of my money back into the business account in various amounts, referencing them with invoice numbers so she can track them if she asks.

With this, and some new jobs, she’ll soon be back on her feet. She could finally afford to rent in the good neighborhood.

Danny knows about Chad. Realization hits me hard as I connect the dots; the last name on one of these transactions match with her ex-husbands. As Molly takes a call, I slip into Danny’s office and close the door behind me.

“You were friends with her filthy fucking ex, weren’t you?” I hiss.

His head snaps up from his phone, where he was lost in yet another social media platform, scrolling.Of course, he wasn’t working.

The expression on my face must be lethal because he’s shrinking back in his chair, nodding like a frightened child, misty-eyed as he starts to pack his shit. My hands curl into fists, the urge to hit him strong, but my father always taught us that fists weren’t the answer. I’ve never been this tempted.Not until him.

“I need you to leave and never come back.”

“I can’t.”

I step closer, aiming for his weak spot. “How much do you want?”

I’m willing to pay him whatever it takes to make him disappear. If I call the cops, it’ll lead to a drawn-out court case, and Jemima will have to go through that for months, not to mention the legal fees. Plus, if it blows up in the media, it could damage her reputation. Even though she’s innocent, the scrutiny would drag her name through the mud. She’s just starting to get back on her feet, and I won’t let anything tarnish that.

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