Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 118693 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 593(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118693 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 593(@200wpm)___ 475(@250wpm)___ 396(@300wpm)
My mouth dropped as I read her last text. What in the hell did that mean? I wasn’t running from my feelings.
Was I?
The door to the conference room opened, and Casey Stevens and her lawyer walked in.
I opened my briefcase, and my breath caught. There was another letter in there that was almost identical to the one my mother had given me from Finn on Friday night. I picked it up and read
What I love about us . . .
To be opened on Monday, November 1.
Snapping my eyes up, I quickly glanced around the room. I was on the verge of a complete meltdown.
I slid the letter under my notebook and took in a deep breath.
Russell cleared his throat and got the room’s attention. I looked at him but didn’t hear a word he said, and soon I turned from him and just stared out the window. When had he put that in my briefcase? It had to have been last night when I was getting ready to go out to dinner.
What does it say?
Should I read it?
“Rory? Rory!”
My head jerked to look at Russell. “I’m sorry, what was that?”
“Ms. Stevens would like to withdraw all accusations against Mr. Long, as long as he agrees not to press any charges against her.”
I stole a glance at Robert. He nodded his head. “I’m ready to move on so I can get back to work and get married.”
I glanced around at the roomful of lawyers and the judge. Standing, I cleared my throat and dug deep inside to get my shit together. “I suggest Ms. Stevens writes a letter of apology and reads it during a press conference, and the sooner the better. With Mr. Long being a public servant and the amount of press this case generated, that’s the best way to get it out that the accusations were false.”
Russell cleared his throat. “I agree; I think a public statement is a good idea.”
I watched as Casey Stevens’s face turned white as a ghost. She shot me a dirty look and turned to her lawyer. “This is insane. I simply tried to help out my sister, and now I have to go on TV and say I’m a liar.”
When she looked back at me, my brows lifted. “Are you not…a liar, Ms. Stevens?”
She went to speak, but the judge spoke before she could. “I don’t think asking you to make a public statement regarding your false accusations is any worse than you accusing an innocent man of sexual assault, Ms. Stevens.”
The bitch’s lawyer spoke up before Casey Stevens could. “We’ll get it scheduled as soon as possible.”
“What? I’m going to lose my job if I go on TV and say I lied about this. This isn’t fair.”
I’d had enough of this lady. Hell, I’d had enough of everything. As I started gathering my things, I pierced her cold stare with one of my own. “You could be sitting your ass in jail, Casey. But Robert didn’t want that and asked the judge to go easy you. Six months of probation and a hundred hours of community service is pretty damn fair, I think. I wouldn’t argue too much if I were you, unless you want to go to jail.”
It gave me great satisfaction to see her slink down in her chair some. And one quick peek at the judge’s smile told me he was satisfied with the outcome too.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’m late for a meeting,” I said.
Russell wore a stunned expression as he stood and followed me out of the conference room.
“Where in the hell do you think you’re going?” Russell asked as he grabbed my arm.
Looking down at his hand, I frowned. “Take your hands off of me. Now.”
He dropped his hand, then dragged it through his hair in frustration. “What was that, Rory? You went off on her and now you’re going to just leave? That was the most unprofessional thing I’ve ever seen.”
I laughed. “I doubt that, Russell. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m late.” I turned toward the elevators.
“For?”
Stopping, I glanced over my shoulder. “It’s none of your business.”
“Running off to your manwhore again, Rory? How long are you going to take advantage of being the boss’s daughter?”
Heat raced through my veins as I walked directly up to him. “Do you have any idea how much of a total and complete asshole you are?”
He smirked. “The truth hurts, doesn’t it, sweetheart?”
I wasn’t sure what came over me. I pulled my arm back and put every ounce of energy into my swing. My fist hit him square on the chin, and he stumbled and hit the wall.
My hand ached instantly, and I wanted more than anything to let out a scream and cry. But I didn’t. Instead, I lifted my chin and watched as he regained his composure.