Page 6 of Don't Fall for the Billionaire
Setting my coffee cup in the sink, I grabbed my purse and headed to work. When I approached the building, my brows furrowed when I saw a large white sign taped to the door.
Permanently closed.
“What the fuck,” I said, violently pulling the locked door.
Taking my phone from my pocket, I called my boss. It went straight to voicemail.
“Excuse me, ma'am. Do you work here?” A man approached me.
“I used to.” I pointed to the sign.
“Any idea where your boss is?” he asked.
“I have no idea. I just tried calling him, and it went straight to voicemail.”
He reached inside his pocket, pulled out a business card, and handed it to me.
“I'm Special Agent Ryes with the FBI. If he gets in contact with you, call us.”
“FBI?” My brows furrowed. “I don't understand.”
“We were informed that your boss was embezzling from the company. Obviously, someone tipped him off. We're trying to find him, so any help on your part would be greatly appreciated.”
“I'll let you know if I hear from him.” I placed the card inside my purse.
Now, what was I supposed to do? This could be a blessing in disguise, allowing me to focus solely on opening my pie shop. Pulling my phone from my purse, I called Melissa, but she didn't answer. So, I went back home and waited until it was time to leave for my bank appointment.
“Good afternoon, Miss Campbell.” Mr. Schmidt smiled and shook my hand. “Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you, Mr. Schmidt.”
I handed him the business plan I typed up three months ago.
“Have you found a space to rent yet?” he asked.
“Not yet. That will depend on the amount of the business loan.” I smiled.
“I see you work full-time at Henderson Finance as an executive secretary.”
“Well, not anymore. There was a sign on the door this morning saying the company was permanently closed.”
“Oh dear. That's terrible.” He turned to his computer and began typing away. “I pulled up your account and see you have a balance of a little under five thousand dollars.”
“I've been trying to save as much as I can.”
“Your idea is nice, Miss Campbell. I'm a pie lover myself. Unfortunately, we are unable to extend a business loan to you at this time. I'm sorry.”
“But why?” I could feel the stinging in my eyes.
“The fact that you are now unemployed makes a difference. Once you find another job, we can revisit your loan application. Have a good day.”
I lowered my head, slowly stood up from my chair, and gripped my purse strap as I walked out of his office. Tears streamed down my face as I passed a bakery. Stopping at the window, I glanced inside and saw a case of delicious-looking cupcakes. Sweets were my jam and made everything better. After buying two cupcakes, I headed to Central Park and sat on a bench, wallowing in self-pity. First, Jeremy. Now, I'm unemployed, and all dreams of opening my pie shop flew out the window in a flash.
I removed one of the cupcakes from the box and slowly unwrapped it. Taking a bite, I savored the moist cake and smooth icing. But it wasn't making me feel better this time. I couldn't get what Jeremy did out of my head, nor could I shake the fact that I was unemployed. I pulled the second cupcake from the box, unwrapped it, and as I lifted it to my mouth, I screamed.
“UGH!” I threw the cupcake, and it landed on the pant leg of some poor guy. He stopped and stared at me.
“What the hell?” He threw out his arms.
