Page 124 of The Protégé

“This can be another story for Musepaper.”

I sighed. “Musepaper will be the talk of New England.”

“Of the world,” he said. “These banks have international ties.”

“Will your family’s bank be okay?”

“Yes.” His eyes softened. “We’re closing in on the corrupt people.”

After snapping images of the documents onto my phone, we left the house the way we found it and rushed back to the car.

“I just realized something profound.” I traced his chin with my fingers.

“What is it?”

“That you’re a complex lock with many intricate parts that somehow work together beautifully.”

He smiled at me. “I found the perfect key. It’s you. From the very first moment I met you, something clicked in me. The rest is history.”

I blushed, and my phone rang.

“It’s Rebecca Wright, the HR Manager from Channel Seven News,” I told Orion.

“Elena, do you have time to meet tomorrow?”

“Hold on. I have to put you on speaker. My hands are tied up.” I winked at Orion. “What’s this about?”

“About you returning to Channel Seven. We value your work. The station has been bombarded with viewers demanding your return. We miss you.”

Intrigued, I said, “I can be there tomorrow around ten. Does that work for you?”

“It’s perfect. See you then.”

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

ELENA

It feltstrange to sit inside the Human Resources conference room of Channel 7 News talking to two members of the HR team who had refused to speak to me when I’d first complained about Chantel.

Rebecca Wright wore a beige suit with dark-rimmed glasses. She sat beside Zoey Stern, her assistant, who had on a bright lipstick that hurt my eyes. The two women smiled, thinking they were giving me a lucrative offer. They weren’t, but I let them finish their sentence.

“We plan on making Uncover the Truth even better,” Rebecca said. “Moving it to prime time.”

Though it sounded nice, I couldn’t trust the people here. They didn’t have my back when I needed them. The only reason they called me was because news of Chantel had spread like wildfire.

“You never gave me a chance to defend myself regarding the false accusations. Chantel put those drugs in my locker, and you just fired me without an investigation.” I looked at each of them.“I don’t have faith in Channel Seven anymore. Seems like you’re fond of illegal acts, soI’ll have to pass.”

Coming back to work here was never an option for me. I just wanted an opportunity to tell them how I felt.

Before I left, I went to look for two coworkers I liked, but I learned they were laid off last week. In my car, I drafted an email to both asking them if they were interested in working with me at Musepaper. With Orion’s support, I could build a fabulous team to help me succeed.

After stopping by a sandwich shop to pick up lunch, I headed home. When I pulled up to the driveway, I saw two familiar cars. Why were my neighbors here?

I could hear voices in the backyard, but entered through the front door. Then I ambled to the kitchen and leaned against the wall, watching my handsome boyfriend entertaining Melissa and Brittany. Orion was shirtless and sweat gleamed on his body, enhancing his taut muscles. The two women stood nearby as he hammered a plank on my deck.

“You’re so handy,” Melissa said. “Do you have time to repair my back steps?”

“Sorry, I don’t have time.”

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