Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 106150 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 531(@200wpm)___ 425(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106150 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 531(@200wpm)___ 425(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Austin’s chest expanded and contracted rapidly. In the face of Bash’s uncompromising refusal to act, he turned toward his CEO. “Clarissa, Bash’s judgment is clearly compromised. You have to believe me.”
Clarissa was already aware of the situation. And while she might not have known who the true owners of the company were, she knew that Bash, as the person who acted as a liaison from the board of directors, was very much in charge.
Fortunately, she had also been well coached on the need to act clueless about Austin’s treachery until the official board meeting on Monday morning.
“My goodness, Austin,” she said, managing to sound shocked. “Have you had too much wine? We have no proof anything’s been stolen, and this man is Sebastian’s friend.”
“But—”
“Let’s table this until Monday,” she said firmly. “They’re getting ready to begin the awards.”
Austin straightened in his chair. “I will not sit here and be accused of stealing my own idea!”
Clarissa blinked at him. “Accused?” She gave Bash an incredulous look, like she wondered if he could shed light on Austin’s strange theories. “No one’s accused you of anything. And what idea could you have stolen?” She frowned, as though the idea had only just occurred to her. “Wait… you don’t mean the idea for MRO?”
The woman deserved an Academy Award. Or a promotion. Or… all the burritos she could eat for the rest of ever.
“I… I…” Austin seemed to realize that in his haste to shift blame onto me, he might have unwittingly revealed his crime. “Maybe, yes! I remember this man’s name. He sent letters to me. Months ago. H-he’s a rival inventor. He warned me he’d try to steal my plans. To claim that he came up with them himself.”
“This man?” Bash took his seat and grabbed my hand, holding it on top of the table in a gesture of support and connection that would have made me fall in love with him… if I hadn’t already been there. “The one you just claimed was a burrito delivery person? Now you’re saying he sent you letters warning you that he was going to commit a crime?”
“He is! He did!” Austin insisted. “He… I…”
Silas wandered over from the next table, a politely chastising look on his face that hardened when he looked at Bash. It was almost like he knew Bash was going to have a hard time holding his temper. “Is there a problem over here?”
“Not at all, Silas. Austin appears to be confused about some things. Maybe it’s jet lag.” Clarissa lifted a hand to Austin in a soothing gesture. “Your claims are easily proven, Austin. On Monday, you’ll provide us with copies of the letters you claim this man sent you, and the truth will come out. Now, please don’t make a scene.”
Around us, there was a scattering of applause as the first awards were presented.
“Well, I don’t have the letters. I-I-I threw them away! But still—”
“You threw away letters that threatened corporate espionage?” Landry wrinkled his perfect nose and took a deliberate sip of his drink. “Is that normal operating procedure?”
Austin glared at Landry angrily before turning his glare on me. “The situation was mine to handle as I saw fit. The patent applications have gone through in my name.”
“Have they?” Bash’s voice was deceptively mild. “Last we spoke, you needed to provide some documentation to Legal in order to pass our internal reviews.”
“A formality,” Austin whispered, like he could feel the net closing on him. “I have the documentation.”
“Of course you do,” Bash agreed. “That’s what you said. Which is why I asked IT to search all the files you’ve deleted in the last six months. Thank goodness for backups, right? Now, we will resolve all of this on Monday. But in the meantime, I will not tolerate another accusation against my date without proof. Understand?” Bash’s tone suggested there would be consequences if Austin did not.
“The MRO is my project. I’ve worked countless hours on it,” Austin gritted out, his eyes still on me. “I’ve developed it into the market-ready program it is today—”
He sounded like a petulant child whose toys had been taken from him. Part of me wanted to be sympathetic—there had to be something broken inside him to have done such a terrible thing with no apparent remorse, right?—but I couldn’t. Instead, I thought of how he’d stolen the story of Daisy’s death and given that to Bash as his own. How he’d lied to Bash and was potentially conspiring with Justin Hardy behind Bash’s back.
I didn’t want him to have the opportunity to hurt Bash again.
“That doesn’t sound like proof to me,” I said softly.
Bash huffed out a startled laugh but didn’t let go of my hand.
Constance Baxter-Hicks, who’d been watching the conversation like she was at a tennis match, pressed her lips together to hide a smirk. And Clarissa’s wife tilted her head, presumably to hear better since she was furthest away from me.