Page 74 of Rise (Symbols of Love 1)

So, Addie’s father is the most wanted white collar criminal in modern history. The news was full of the story of her father’s treachery and disappearance, and how his family practically disappeared, too.

Apparently the FBI had been helping them hide and had given them new identities. Someone had uncovered her identity and called CNN with the tip of the century the Friday we left for Paris.

We spent last weekend in blissful ignorance while back in England her entire life was imploding.

Adelaide Dennis was Adelaide Efua Hassan.

I spent one day being angry she hadn’t told me who she was. Then, when I tried to call her my anger turned to worry and then blind panic when her number rang endlessly before it was disconnected the next morning.

I showed up at work to find reporters camped out outside Montiva, apparently waiting for her. As soon as I walked in, I was summoned into a staff meeting.

Our CEO advised us that due to concerns with the integrity of lawyer assigned to the case, LaSalle and Willis had removed “Miss Dennis” from the case and we would be working directly with a partner for the remainder of the case.

I was shocked. What the hell did Addie’s integrity have to do with her father’s crimes?

I looked across the room and caught Matthew staring at me. When our eyes met, he grinned and winked, which is when I knew.

It was him.

Somehow he managed to unearth Addie’s secret and had decided to use it as a weapon to try and destroy her career.

My temper boiled over. I was going to make this spineless man pay for thinking he could fuck with Addie’s life for kicks.

When the meeting was over, I walked over to him as he was leaving the room. I didn’t care everyone in upper management was here, I grabbed his arm as he tried to walk past me.

“You piece of shit!” I hissed at him as I stood toe to toe with him.

“Get your hands off me!” he returned loudly.

Heads immediately turned in our direction. He thought the attention would deter me. Yet, it was exactly what I wanted.

“You did this. How did you know who she was?”

“I have no idea what you are talking about. You’re crazy!” He scoffed as he tried to pull out of my grip.

I released his arm, and instead grabbed his lapels and slammed him against the door.

“How did you know, Matt?” I slammed him against the door again, this time his head bounced off the frame.

No one intervened, they all seemed too shocked to move as they watched the scene play out in from to them.

“Someone call security and get this maniac off me!” His eye darted around me wildly.

“Yes, someone call security.” I shouted without taking eyes off him.

“I’m about to beat his ass, and I guess I can start now and stop when they get up here.” I drew my fist back.

“For fuck’s sake!” He screamed, putting his hand in front of my face. “Fine, fine! I looked in her employee file, got her date of birth, and hired a private investigator. I knew she was hiding something. Clearly, I was right.”

Then he shouted at the room as a whole. “If any of you had bothered to look into who you were hiring; you would have found it first.”

I released his lapels and stepped back.

Our CEO, who was still in the room, stepped forward. “You looked in her employee file?”

“Yes. So? I am the General Counsel. I can look in anything I want.”

“We’ll see what HR has to say about this, Matthew.”

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