Page 59 of Noel
All heads whip toward me.
“Oh, Holly!There you are,” Carly says, eyes wide and fake smiling.The kind of smile she uses in meetings when a donor shows up unannounced.“I—I didn’t expect you back so soon.”
I blink.“Of course I came back.I’m here to get the final copies of the itinerary before tomorrow’s event.What is all this?”
I motion toward the whiteboard, my voice tight, controlled, teetering on the edge of something messy.
Carly clears her throat and looks to Ambrose, then to Darlene, like someone’s going to jump in and explain.
They don’t.
“Holly, we were just, um,reviewingcontingency plans,” she says finally, stepping forward with a placating smile that grates on every last one of my nerves.“You’ve been under a lot of pressure lately, and with everything going on—your personal safety concerns, the threats, your, um,temporary leave?—”
“Temporary leave?”
“Yes, well, I just thought it would be helpful to loop in a few key people.”
“My temporary leave?”I repeat, and I can see the sarcasm.
My voice pitches up, sharp and incredulous.
Carly blinks.
“Holly, you’ve been working remotely, and I wasn’t sure you’d be back in time.I had to make sure the event could run smoothly.”
I open my mouth.Close it again.
“Carly,” I begin, trying for a calm I sure as shit do not feel, “I’ve been out of the office for one day and like you just said, Ihavebeen working remotely.In fact, I’ve been sending you emails to update you on my progress every step of the way.”
Rage is simmering in my chest.
Embarrassment too.
But worse than that is the sense of betrayal.
This event is mine.
I brought in the client.I built it.Every vendor.Every detail.Every backup plan.
And now they’re standing here like I’m a liability.
Like I don’t matter.
Noel shifts behind me.I can feel the tension radiating off him like heat from a forge.But he doesn’t speak.
He lets me handle it.And I have to hand it to him—that’s hot as fuck.
Because I will handle it.Even if it means resigning when this is all over.
“Oh,” I say, voice cool and clipped.“So you’re replacing me now?”
“Of course not,” Carly rushes to say.“This is still your event.We’re just being cautious.That’s all.Unless you feel as though you can’t proceed?Holly, I am simply looking out for youandthe company’s best interests.”
“Right,” I murmur, already walking over to the board.“Well then, let’s make sure the team is actually up to speed, shall we?”
Because if they’re going to try to take this from me, they’re going to learn real fast that I’m not someone who gives up easily.
Especially not when I’ve got a bodyguard with a gun, a kiss that melted my brain, and something dangerously close to hope burning in my chest.
