Page 9 of Mr. Billionaire's Second Chance

“If I recall, you don’t work for me,” I said, teasingly.

I got a little chuckle out of her this time, and she bit her lip, getting up from her seat to help me. I opened up the takeout containers, grabbing some cutlery to eat my pad Thai while I sat on her desk watching her do the same.

“Thank you for dinner,” she said.

She worked her way through her meal gratefully, and I glanced over at the paperwork she was going over when I suddenly felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. This was just as strange a situation for me as it was for her, but I knew I’d never be able to get through to her if I didn’t at least try to talk about our past.

I never should’ve ignored your calls. I never should’ve stopped reaching out. My father always told me I was weak to get involved with a woman for anything more than a few fun nights because my relationship was with my job. The job always came first. Maybe that’s where I went wrong.

“I just wanted to make sure you felt comfortable here. I know you must think I’m sucking up because you quite literally hold the fate of my company in your hands, but I have dozens of them, and Kingsman is not even the biggest one. I can imagine how you feel about what happened four months ago and I don’t want you to hold it against me,” I confessed.

This was the closest thing to an actual apology that I ever said. I could practically see her thoughts flitting around behind those hazel eyes of hers. I was expecting yet another snide remark, but I didn’t get one. Her expression softened, like she had absorbed every word I just said, but she was fighting the way she felt. I knew it well because I was doing the very same thing. I reached over for the bag of Thai spring rolls when my hand brushed against hers, and she quickly pulled away.

“I appreciate you telling me this. Look, I really need to get going. It’s getting late,” she said.

“Of course. Have a nice night, Kat. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I watched as she quickly gathered her things and bid me goodbye before she rushed down to the elevators to leave. I sat there trying to figure out what I should do next. If I don’t get through to Katherine, I may lose the only thing my father ever gave me.

I headed home that night with a mix of emotions I just couldn’t make sense of. I got into bed, readjusting my pillow so I could get comfortable enough to sleep because I just wanted this nightmare of a day to be over. I knew how much trouble Katherine could cause me if she wanted. I had a feeling she was still harboring some anger, and I definitely wouldn’t blame her. This is what you get for being an asshole. Now, you just need to figure out who hired her whether she’s the one that tells you or not.

“What is this?” asked William, putting the newspaper down in front of me on the conference table.

I took it between my hands and read the way Riley twisted my words, realizing that even though I handled myself well in that interview, she made it seem like I had a lot to hide. She put my story alongside the Madoffs of the world saying that I could possibly be getting away with worse. It made my blood boil, because now there were far more eyes on me than there had been before.

“This is not the story I gave her. We were supposed to approve this before she even took it to print. You were supposed to be the one to give the go-ahead, or did you not get the memo?” I asked him, sternly.

“This isn’t the story I approved,” said William.

Despite our little cat and mouse game, Riley was the only reporter I talked to and now she betrayed my trust. Being betrayed by a woman felt so familiar. She didn’t betray my feelings as Leighton did, but it didn’t matter. I wouldn’t let a woman get too close to me ever again. This is why I didn’t contact Kat after that night and it doesn’t matter what I feel for her.

I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket, dialing the Tribune, as I rushed right out of the conference room. I caught sight of Katherine on my way there, and she stared at me sympathetically like she was already clued into the disaster I had to deal with. I shut my office door behind me just as Riley picked up the line.

“Mr. Clarke, what can I do for you?”

“What can you do for me? You can start by telling me why the hell you printed this garbage in the first place, Riley. You had no right,” I said, through my gritted teeth.

“No right to what? You see, Mr. Clarke, I know men like you very well. You know all the right things to say to cover your ass, but I’m not going to let you get away with it if you do have something to hide. See, once I found out that you were the head of Kingsman Enterprises, that little private company of yours became public, along with all of its secrets. Trust me, I’ll be the first to set the record straight if I am wrong, but something tells me I won’t be.”

“Who have you been talking to?” I asked. My gut was telling me this story was a last-minute decision, one she ran with because she found an angle that worked. As brilliant of a journalist as she was, there was no way she’d be able to come up with that on her own. Someone’s fucking with me. That’s the only goddamn explanation. I need to find out who that is and fast.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Clarke. I never kiss and tell.”

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