Page 54 of Handling the CEO

“Unfortunately, it didn’t, as you missed her coming in the morning entirely, and Mike intercepted her. But I knew about the press conference. I overheard Mike on the phone with someone—probably Miranda or your ex-husband—planning it all for Tuesday. So, when you showed up Monday, your VP made me call Lex Aviation and get them to do the announcement right on the spot.”

“Sorry, back up a little,” I halt her explanation. "Why would they want to have a press conference exactly when our meeting was?”

“Shit!” Jon’s loud outburst jolts me as well. “Mike always planned on having us join against Miranda and Richard. We played into it with our little fight! Also, by them announcing it, you would look desperate if we were to talk about it as well.” He runs his fingers through his hair as he paces the hallway. “Anya, I don’t get it. Why would you try to help? Come to think of it, you never answered DJ’s question in the office a while back—why did you get involved in the first place?”

“I tried to help as I couldn’t live with myself doing all I was doing, trying to sabotage you, selling secrets,” the young woman answers in a sad whisper, and we look at each other, knowing she is telling the truth. “As for why I did it, let’s just say they had something on me, and I needed their influence. Maybe one day I will be able to tell you exactly why and how I got involved.” Her voice breaks down toward the end, clearly distressed.

I get closer to her and take her hand in mine. She is reluctant at first but then squeezes me right back after a minute.

“Are you OK now? Do you need help?” I ask, looking at her light eyes filled with what I can now see isn’t sarcasm, it’s despair.

“Yeah, thank you for asking. I got some of my own evidence to protect myself—I can’t give you that, though.”

“That’s fine Anya.” Jon also comes closer to us and speaks softly to her, “We will take anything you can share, as we are well aware of how they twist and manipulate. If you need whatever you have for yourself, we understand.”

“No, I have something I can share.” She goes back into her room and returns with a flash drive. “Here are some emails I forwarded to myself from Michaela’s computer. There is an email chain between her and a random email address, so it doesn’t look suspicious in a server search, but they forget not to use names in the emails. I have some others which don’t impact you, but you can have these.”

I pick up the USB from her and take her other hand in mine.

“Thank you, Anya, we genuinely appreciate it. If you need any help, please let us know.”

“Thanks Dahlia, but I got it now. You two better get going. The boys downstairs are eager for their payday. And Jon, don’t forget to study the other folders I sent you last time. They can really assist you in the long run.”

“Will have a look. Thank you as well. If this is as helpful as you say, you may have gotten my company back.”

“Good luck,” she wishes us as she closes the door.

“Well, that was unexpected,” I note as we climb down the stairs.

“Indeed it was. I didn’t think we would end up feeling sorry for her,” my man admits. “Now, let me see if I actually have $100 cash or if we are about to get my tires slashed.” He laughs as we get to the car, hand in hand.

We head on home after finding the money between the two of us, which pleases the lads, as we have to prepare for the meeting tonight with the lawyers and the Lexingtons. With some extra guests, as per Jon’s plan.

Jon

Mypalmsaresweating,and I feel a chill down my spine as I pace around the event hall we rented for meeting our guests and enemies. It is a round room with several entrances and exits, and ideal for what we planned, with a table in the middle and a skylight above.

DJ looks at me from her laptop and tries to pacify me, as she always does when I am spiraling. She is wearing a simple fitted black dress and I am matching color, fashion not the top of our priorities today. But she still catches my eye every time.

“Caveman, do you want to sit down? Miranda and Ramsay aren’t due for a few more minutes. And your lawyer is staring at you funny. Hey Ephraim!” She nods at my attorney who, like her, was working on his computer but lifts his head towards me. His graying hair is cut short and the wrinkles on his face deepen as he scowls at me.

I suppose I should be calm and composed, but I can’t stop myself from worrying, despite all the preparations we did, and all the evidence we gathered.

A phone vibrates next to us, and it’s showtime.

“I’ll go into the other room and intercept him when he arrives.” Dahlia gives me a kiss and smacks my ass on the way out, giving me a cheeky wink.

“Ready, Eph?” I ask, but it’s more for myself.

“Ready as can be—are you sure you are, though?”

“More than ready. This is long overdue,” I confirm just as the main doors open. The Lexingtons and their lawyer, a middle-aged woman in a dark suit I know is called Helena Pruitt, walk in.

Ramsay and the attorney at least have the manners to come shake our hands, as my former stepmother just sits her Chanel-clad bony ass at the table, like she awaits to be served. The elder billionaire with a shaved head and gray eyes is wearing a white t-shirt and brown slacks, as if he came from a round of golf.

“OK, so we are all here. Let’s begin the custody discussions,” Ephraim begins.

“There will be no need for any ‘discussions’,” Miranda grins. “Jon knows by now there will be no change to our current set-up, don’t you, Jon? Not with the mountains of evidence showing your drug use.”

---