Page 80 of Assistant to the Billionaire CEO

“Yes, he did,” she finally whispered. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry,” she cried. “He meant well, I promise,” she repeated. “After I saw that the E.C. file on your desk stood for ‘East Cleveland’ and not for ‘Ecclestone Construction,’ I was planning on telling him to go stuff it, but then you—”

“But then I caught you digging around in my office,” I finished the sentence for her. I still couldn’t fucking believe Damon would do this. Worst of all, I couldn’t believe thatshewould do this.

“Ace, I am so sorry,” she sobbed uncontrollably. “I’d never do anything to hurt you, and I swear I was going to tell Damon I wouldn’t keep tabs on you anymore. I was going to call him when I got home. It’s the truth!”

Rage was burning like fire in my chest. It took every ounce of self-restraint not to scream.

“Get out of my office right now, Stella. I’m serious. Get out before I ask security to escort you out.”

“Does this mean I’m fired?” she asked, her lower lip trembling forcefully. Her eyes were already red and puffy from crying. “Because I’m so sorry, and I promise that nothing like this will happen ever again.Never.”

“Just go home,” I grumbled. “Go. Go home before I lose my temper.”

She sobbed as she stormed out of my office, pushing past me. Only her mandarin scent lingered. I walked over to my office chair and slumped down onto it like a defeated, dying man.

After a minute or two, I propped my elbows onto my desk and rested my head in my hands. Without the crying, rueful Stella in the room, I found it a lot easier to calm down. I read the first page of the open file between my arms. There was nothing exciting about it. I couldn’t believe she’d really thought I’d work with Ecclestone. What type of person did she fucking think I was?

I glanced at my drawer. I was certain she hadn’t peeked inside. Had she discovered what I was concealing in there, her reaction would have been quite different.

I did not regret returning to the office. If I’d just gone home, I could have been blissfully unaware of all of this, and Stella and I could have still enjoyed each other’s company. But at what price?

Now that all the cards were face-up on the table, there was hope for us.

I got to my feet and started pacing the length of my office with my hands behind my back. The smell of Stella’s perfume was starting to fade.

Damon.

“You asshole,” I muttered.

I wasn’t sure why I was really that surprised. A few days back, he’d asked me about Ecclestone on the phone. Apparently, my answer hadn’t satisfied him. And so he’d sent his sister to find out whether or not I had been lying to him.

What a bastard.

I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and dialed his number. It rang twice before an idea suddenly dawned on me. I ended the call before he could answer and shoved my phone back into my pocket.

The only reason I couldn’t pursue a relationship with Stella was—apart from my being her boss, butfuckthat—because it would piss Damon off. Now that he had clearly proven he was no friend of mine, I could have her without any consequences for our “supposed” friendship. She might have tried to get information on me behind my back, but she had done it in his name, because her “dear brother” had told her to. He’d probably left her no choice, the fucker. Everyone knew how persuasive Damon could be.

Well, served him right!

If he decided to call back, I wouldn’t tell him what I knew. I would never throw her under the bus.

I had an advantage—one I didn’t intend to waste. I was sure Miles and Oliver were in on the whole spying shit as well. Part of me understood why they were being careful. I would be too. The other part hated the distrust. The question wasn’t whether I still wanted the merger. The answer was yes, because it would give me what I needed: time.

Why play my cards to lose? Only a fool would.

I couldn’t bring myself to be “grateful” to Damon for his shoddy tactics, but he had gifted me something I intended to exploit mercilessly, now that I didn’t have to feel guilty anymore.

Something good could still come out of this.

First, she deserved a verbal spanking. Then, the other kind.

This time, she wouldn’t get out of it.

33

STELLA

All was lost.

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