Facade (Billionaire in Disguise 1)

“Dated and slept with more than once,” I said.

“Three,” he said. “Your turn.”

“Dated and slept with? Two. I’m going to need the names of them, by the way.”

“Then I’ll need the names of yours,” he said.

“No.”

“Then this conversation stops.”

“I’m gathering information to compile and cross people off your list. The names are necessary to look into them further and see if their broken hearts have spiraled into something more.”

“I don’t leave women with a broken heart. I make sure they’re taken care of.”

“Mr. Steele, if you make me search for this information on my own, I’ll be very loud about it. You know, to piss you off.”

“Please tell me your loudness is a promise,” I said with a grin.

“Get me their names so I can run a check on them. I’m not asking again.”

“I love it when you’re demanding. Fine. Next question,” he said.

“Have you had any beef or issues with any companies? Other CEOs you’ve pissed off? Companies you’ve acquired in your time as CEO that resulted in people who could lash out in anger?”

“Yes, but if you ask me to compile a list, I’ll be compiling for days. With every business I’ve bought, turned around, and kept stock in, there’s always a few people who are pissed I’m there.”

“Are there any who have acted on that anger? Gotten in your face or threatened you in any way?” I asked.

“A few. I take it you want their names as well?”

“And the companies they belonged to, yes.”

“I don’t know how I can turn that question around on you, so I’ll ask you this. What’s your family like? Got any siblings?”

“I did.”

I watched his face fall as pity began to fill his eyes. I hated that look when I answered shit about my family, and people automatically thought I needed to be coddled. I’d coped with what happened. I moved on from the incident. I didn’t need their pity pulling me back into a past I’d left behind for a reason.

“What is your company like?” I asked. “Have you laid off anyone who became disgruntled in your opinion?”

“I, uh, excuse me.”

He cleared his throat and straightened himself out as I kept my eyes on him. Why had he become so uncomfortable all of a sudden?

“I run a decent company, but it hasn’t been without its faults. A lot of money runs through our walls on a daily basis, and I have fired a few employees for embezzlement. I never did it without proof, but once it was proven, swift action inside and outside of the office was taken. We also had a massive merger a couple years back, and some layoffs occurred. I felt terrible about it, but there was nothing I could do. The merger couldn’t sustain the employees we’d taken on with it.”

“How many were laid off?” I asked.

“Two hundred people in all. The other company was going to tank without the merger, and the only way to resuscitate it was to merge it with us. Long term, it was the best thing I could've done for both my company and their company. Otherwise, everyone would’ve lost their jobs. As the company stabilized, I’ve hired some people back, but thirty people out of two hundred is still one hundred and seventy people laid off.”

“Again, any of them threaten you face to face?” I asked. “Over email, maybe a phone call?”

“Only two. So that’ll be easy. If you want, I can rattle off these names for you now.”

“That’s fine. Go ahead.”

“You want to write them down or something?”