Page 81 of Bestie's Bossy Billionaire Brother
“Fred?” I say, turning to face him.
“I overheard you were downstairs,” he explains. “We need to talk.”
I nod, and he leads me to a nearby cafe. We sit down at a table in the back corner and Fred explains how Jason somehow stole their proposal and presented it as his own.
“We got our hands on a copy of his proposal,” Fred says, shaking his head sadly. “It was word-for-word our work. Catherine, from what Erica has told me of you, I don’t believe it’s true that you would conspire all of this with him. Plus, Jason seems to have had it out for both you and Oliver since the wedding.”
I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut. “He thinks I helped Jason?” I say, my voice full of hurt. “But I wouldn’t do that, especially not with Jason.”
The idea that Oliver believes I’d betray him stings deeply. We’ve been through so much, shared so many special moments. How could he think I’d throw that all away? Why would he ever think I’d allow Jason back into my life, that I’d use him for my own advantage? It doesn’t make sense. Oliver knows me, or at least I thought he did. The fact that he could believe I’d do something so low shakes me to my core. I thought we had something real, something strong. Now, I’m not sure what to think.
“I know this is difficult for you to hear,” Fred continues, “but we’ll figure out a way to make things right.”
“I appreciate that, Fred,” I reply, my voice tight with emotion. “I just wish Oliver would have been more willing to share these things with me.”
“I agree,” Fred nods. “But you know how he gets sometimes—protective of his business and all that. He probably thought he was doing the right thing by keeping you out of it.”
“I don’t care,” I say firmly. “Don’t you think I deserve to know? I’m not just some employee. At least, I thought I meant more to him than that.”
Fred looks at me sympathetically. “I understand, Catherine. What Jason did was wrong—and we need to figure out how he got his hands on our proposal. Can you help me with that?”
I nod. Even though I’m still heartbroken about what Oliver did to me, I know it’s important to get justice for what happened. I don’t know if what Oliver and I have can be fixed, but if I can help Fred find out how Jason had stolen our proposal, then maybe this experience won’t have been a complete waste.
“Yes,” I reply firmly. “Let’s figure this out together.”
Chapter 30
Oliver
WhenIarrivehomethat night, Alice and the new nanny, Kimberly, are upstairs in her bedroom getting Alice ready for bed. I can hear their voices drifting down the hallway as I take off my coat and hang it up.
I take a deep breath and make my way to the living room, where I can already tell that something has changed. The air feels heavier, more still. Even though Catherine had only been gone for a few hours, the entire house feels different without her presence.
As I make my way up the stairs, Kimberly steps out of Alice’s bedroom and greets me with a smile.
“Hi, Mr. Burke, Alice and I were just finishing up. She’s all tucked in now,” she says as she walks toward me.
“Thanks, Kimberly. How did it go today? Did Alice behave for you?” I ask, trying to hide the uncertainty in my voice.
“She’s adjusting well. Of course, she misses her old nanny, but she’s a resilient girl. We spent most of the afternoon playing games and drawing together,” Kimberly replies, her reassuring smile putting me at ease.
“That’s great to hear. I’m glad Alice is taking to you,” I say, relieved that the transition is going somewhat smoothly.
After Kimberly leaves, I go into Alice’s room and tuck her in. As I bend down to kiss her forehead, she looks up at me with her big brown eyes.
“Daddy, I miss Catherine,” she mumbles.
“I know, sweetheart,” I reply, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. “You usually greet me as soon as I walk through the door,” I point out. “Are you too tired after having fun with your new nanny?”
She shrugs. “I guess.”
“Alice,” I start, “Do you want to talk about Catherine?”
She shakes her head.
“You don’t have to pretend,” I breathe. “It’s okay to miss Catherine, you know.”
Alice looks up at me, her eyes glistening with tears. “Why did you have to fire her, Daddy? She did nothing wrong.”
