Page 35 of With Conditions

Chapter Seventeen

Sophie

Pulling up to my house, I found a bunch of police cars and news trucks lined on the roads. We stopped behind two black Tesla with ‘TEMP’ tags on them. Immediately reporters started walking towards his car, so Cole drove into the grass and made his way behind the back of my house. Still mad, I went to grab for the handle but before I could Cole reached over to lock the door. I blurted, “What are you doing?”

He sneered, “making plans, I’ll pick you up here at 7 a.m. tomorrow for Australia.”

“I’m not sure if you’re tracking, but I can’t fucking stand to be around you for more than a few seconds.”

“Funny you mentioned that this is a business deal, but if you’re interested in breaking the contract I’ll ask for double payment.”

He removed his arm from behind me and went to pop open his door. Moving quickly to grab it and close it, I reached across, and he let out a laugh as he let go immediately.

I scowled at him, “I’m not playing your games, Cole. I’ll go to Australia, but I’m not saying a single word to you.”

His eyes rolled up and down my body like he was examining a piece of meat. “Hmmm, just the way I like my women.”

Popping open my side of the car door and lifting myself out of his car, I turned to face him. “Get the fuck off my lawn.”

I slammed the door hard just as he cranked up the engine. He backed out and disappeared up the side of my house. Before I could scowl at the cheater some more, someone hit me hard, engulfing me into an embrace. It was Tibby’s voice I heard. She gasped, “Oh Jesus! We almost told the press you died.”

I gave her a wide-eyed expression, trying to breathe after that long and hard hug. “What do you mean?”

She hugged me again, and I could feel her fear. I completely forgot that someone tried to kill us last night. This morning Cole didn’t even mention it and I know that his boat was his life. Miles was standing on my deck talking to the police. They started closing up notepads, and he walked them through the back door.

I nodded as I tried getting the pieces of the puzzle together. “Let me guess. It was Miles’s idea.” It would have been fairly convenient for him to takeover once I was declared dead.

Tibby looked up towards the direction of the deck. “Actually, he was really worried about you. When news broke of you kissing Cole on the boat, and then it going up in flames, he stayed here all day calling everyone.”

I squinted my eyebrows at Tibby as we both tried to figure out why Miles would be such an angel after conspiring to overthrow me behind my back. Drake and Paul ran down from the deck, both embracing me tight. Paul asked as they both looked at me, expecting an answer. “What the hell happened?”

“I’m not really sure. We boated all day, and the next thing you know, a flash came from the woods, and Cole heard some ticking sound. We both jumped off and swam to the edge of the water, scared the person in the woods was still around.”

Inside my house, three police officers and Miles watched as I told the story, sitting at the kitchen table.

The officer taking notes asked, “Do you know anyone who would want to harm you?”

I denied shaking my head, “no, I don’t have anyone that doesn’t like me enough to actually plan to get me killed.”

Drake chimed in, “or so you think.”

My eyes met Miles, who was leaning upon the door frame to my office. Why was every man in my life either not interested in me or was a complete asshole? Finally, after a few hours of submitting my statement, and re-telling all the details to everyone at least ten times everyone left. Drake stayed back, and I knew he wasn’t going to leave me alone with Miles.

Miles’s voice ordered, “Drake, your services are no longer needed today. I’ll see you tomorrow at 7 a.m.”

I felt anger and my face sure carried it when I saw him ordering around Drake like he was some slave. I was punching him in the face mentally, but I wasn’t left in a position to say anything on how he treated his assistant. Finally, my eyes met with Drake, who stood there still disregarding the order. I nodded, letting him know I was alright, and he left out from the door. Taking a seat behind my desk, Miles sat in the chair across from me.

After a few minutes of silence, Miles met my eyes. “Why are you acting so stand-offish to me?”

He was a master manipulator, and I could see right through it. “Miles, you don’t need to act. I know that you went to the board trying to get me fired.”

His face looked shocked, and he stood up, putting his hands in his pockets. “You honestly believe that Sophie?” He looked around inhaling for a second before he began. “I’m a multimillionaire that already proved myself in this business. I don’t need you or this company. My purpose for taking this job was to not get bored and have a little fun with you. Who knows maybe our fun will turn into more later on down the road? Why else would I rent the house right across the street from you?”

Looking at the house through my window, now in clear sight with the news trucks and police gone, I asked, “you did that for me?” My voice sounded as shocked as my look, I was sure of that.

“Yes, Sophie.” He placed his hands on the edge of the desk, looking in my direction. “It would be a really weird block barbeque if I had you voted out of your own company.”

Sitting back, taking in everything that he alleged, I felt stupid. “So you have no intentions and know nothing of a meeting to vote me out?”

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