Chapter twenty-seven
Sebastian
Irisishere.Asense of relief washes over me. When Reggie said she was white with shock when he handed over her box of possessions, my sense of worry deepened. Especially because she wasn’t picking up her phone. I don’t like to think of her crying alone somewhere.
But she looks okay, if a little pale.
Those dirtbags. How dare they accuse Iris?
It takes me forever to cross the café and reach Iris. She meets me halfway.
“Are you okay?” I ask, gripping her arms. She feels frail—and wet.
“I’m okay,” she says.
“We need to talk. Is there somewhere we can talk?”
“What’s happening?” Lily comes up.
“Is something wrong?” Bella joins us.
“It’s okay.” Iris waves her hand dismissively. “It’s something at work. Sebastian, let’s talk outside.” Iris gestures for me to follow her out the back door into the garden.
The backyard space has clearly been packed up for the winter, one iron table with two chairs abandoned in the bare trees.
Why didn’t she return my calls? Why didn’t she call me?I would have called her first thing. Her back is still to me.
Dead, brown plants wither in pots around the edge of the garden.
She straightens her back and turns.
That one move undoes me. It’s as if she’s facing a firing squad. Doesn’t she know I’m on her side?
I take her hand.
“Haven’t you seen my calls? I can’t believe they’re accusing you of being the hacker,” I say.
It seems as if her shoulders drop—as if she relaxes. She looks up at me, her eyes swimming in tears.
“Why didn’t you return my calls?” I take off my coat and wrap her in it, pulling her into my arms. She clings to me and rests her head against my shoulder.
“I was afraid you wouldn’t believe I wasn’t the hacker. I don’t know how they can accuse me. But Xavier seems to believe Colby. And then I was escorted out—” her voice breaks “—like I was a criminal.”
I hug her, trying to give her my strength.
“Of course I believe you,” I say. She holds me so tight. “They’re crazy. Colby is just evil, and Xavier is blinded by the fact that Colby is his brother. Do you want me to resign in protest?’
“You would resign?” She stares up at me.
“This is too unjust,” I say. “I didn’t become a lawyer to work for an immoral boss.”
She shakes her head. “You need to stay on the inside. Tessa was just talking about her case, and she reminded me about following the money. There might be a money trail. He had to have paid the hacker.”
“Unless he used his own funds—like the way Xavier used his own funds for the ice skating.”
“I know. But you know Colby. He’s all about the money, while Xavier is all about the artistic idea. Also, if a white hat hacker was paid from personal funds, that would be a red flag—for the hacker.”
“I can talk to Ernest or Aaron,” I say.