“He said Noah came to him today and asked his help in a takeover of Strong Incorporated. He said Noah was the source of the hack.”
“I know you don’t believe that,” she said harshly. “You’re not calling me at four in the morning to accuse my grandson of trying to take over my company.”
I swallowed. “No,” I said, knowing that wasn’t completely true. “I just…It seemed like something you should know.”
“I understand why Noah was so suspicious of Chen. You need to talk to Noah.”
“Yes. I was just on my way to see him,” I said.
“Call me after you and Noah talk.”
I hung up feeling more confused than ever. Of course, she wouldn’t believe it because Noah was her grandson.
I took the elevator to the suite and knocked on Noah’s door, everything Marcus said swirling in my brain.
The door jerked open. “Where the fuck have you been?” Noah growled at me. “I’ve been trying to reach you for hours.” His gaze swept over my dress. “You’ve been with Chen.”
“I told you I could find out what was going on. I learned some interesting things.”
The door swung open and he let me in. “I’m dying to hear it.”
I had some grief over losing the connection we’d had earlier, as it was clear we were back to fighting. I couldn’t help but wonder if his anger at me seeing Marcus was a fear of finding out he was the hacker. I still wasn’t convinced of that, and yet, there were all sorts of clues to suggest he could be. Marcus was right in that Noah didn’t put up too much fight in coming here. He was also resistant to my seeing Marcus, which could mean he was trying to keep me from finding him out. Is that why he slept with me? To distract me?
God, I didn’t know what to think.
“Chen told me the name of the hacker,” I said. I decided I’d be direct and watch Noah’s expression.
“Did he confess?”
I shook my head. “He said it was you.”
Noah watched me for a moment. Then his eyes narrowed. “And you believe him.” Noah’s anger I could take. But the pain that followed told me I was making a big mistake. But there was too much on the line not to follow this path.
23
Noah
It wasn’t that Chen would accuse me of betraying my family or that Andi would repeat his sentiment that had me caught in the clutches of shock. It was that Andi believed it. Or at least was considering it.
Here I’d been doing my damnedest to show her I wasn’t always an asshole, and she was off with Chen again and now accusing me of sabotaging my family’s company.
“What the fuck, Andi.” I could barely breathe. Had I misjudged her all this time? The angel I’d picked up on the motorcycle years ago…where was she? Had I projected her on to Andi all these years. Had I been lying to myself?
She bit her lip, as if unsure. But that wasn’t enough. She might not believe Chen, but she definitely believed I was capable of such betrayal and that was like a sucker punch in my gut.
“What he said made some sense.”
I actually staggered back. “I can’t believe you’d say that.” I turned away going to the bar for a drink. How had I thought I was falling for this woman?
“I didn’t say I believed him,” her voice wavered, but it was too late. I knew how little she thought of me.
“The fact that you’d even consider what he said…” I downed a drink swallowing my words. “After today. After what I said to you. After making love…and you still go to him…listen to his bullshit.” Anger flared and I threw my glass across the room. It hit the wall, shattering into a million pieces. Sort of like my heart.
She didn’t say anything.
“Did you call Gran?” I asked her.
“Yes.”