Beauty and the Billionaire

"Oh, but there is," Ford snarled. "How about you send campus security to check for the men harassing Dean Dunkirk and his daughter."

"What?" I whispered. A cold hand closed around my heart as I thought about my father. I had sent him a text the night before and assured him I was safe. It had never occurred to me that he might be in actual danger.

Ford's stormy eyes flashed an apology at me before he continued. "Clarity Dunkirk received a threatening phone call this morning. A man claimed to be a professor, then immediately recanted the lie. He said he was waiting for Clarity on campus. Doesn't that sound like a student's safety is being jeopardized? Isn't that a better use of your security team's time?"

"Someone called and threatened me?" I whispered. Fear made my voice catch and it was louder than I intended.

"Mr. Bauer, please tell me you do not have a student with you at your private residence. You are far outside the bounds of propriety," the president said.

I snatched the phone from Ford before he could move. "I'd like to talk to you about propriety, sir," I snapped. "Suspending an administrator without properly reviewing the accusations seems to be a very large breach of propriety. As does compromising your students' rights to free speech by tampering with the student newspaper website."

"Ms. Dunkirk, this is an inappropriate conversation at this time—"

"You haven't even read the article. You obviously care more for the public relations look of Landsman College than the ideals it is trying to promote," I cried. "That is what is inappropriate."

"My dear girl," the president said in soothing tones. "I understand how this can all be very confusing for you."

Ford stood back and held up his hands. The president of Landsman College was on his own and I was angry.

"I refuse to let you condescend to me," I snapped. "I corroborated the evidence in the plagiarism case and that paper was planted. The facts support it. If you were interested in anything other than your image, you would open an investigation yourself. Or should I ask my fellow students to do that for you?"

There was a long stretch of silence, then the president took a deep breath. "It makes sense that Ford Bauer is using this opportunity to relive the career he ruined. It often happens with professors that come out of their vocations before they are ready. Perhaps this is my fault for welcoming him to our campus.

"I am deeply sorry that he used you as well as Landsman College. Your father's misstep was the catalyst and in the confusion that I'm sure you felt, Mr. Bauer stepped in and directed your way of thinking. I wouldn't say 'brainwashed,' but he certainly has narrowed your scope of information and pointed you in the direction that most aided him."

I set the phone down on the corner of the desk and stepped back in disgust. Ford mouthed 'I'm sorry' and reached out a hand to me. I was too angry to take it and clenched my fingers into a fist.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your practiced speech, sir," I snarled, "but you should really check your facts before continuing with this any farther. Especially since you are being recorded."

Both Ford and I heard the president's mouth snap shut.

"Ford Bauer did not 'brainwash' me. I researched my father's case and found clear evidence of tampering as well as obvious attempts at blackmail and bribery. Until you speak directly to those issues, there is no other conversation we will be having." I jammed my hands on my hips and leaned closer to the phone to make sure that the president of Landsman College could hear me. "Except if you would like to explain your reasons for covering this up so quickly. Could it be that the high-level donor in question is a friend of yours? If we continued this conversation in your office, would we see generous gifts with his name attached?"

Ford shook h

is head wildly and picked up the phone. He took it off speaker phone and held up a hand to stop me. "Sir, I think we can all agree this is getting out of hand. I'm sure there is some official protocol for discussing this situation and we would be more than happy to oblige."

"What are you saying? He's in Michael Tailor's pocket," I whispered.

Ford shook his head again. "Then we will talk again after the full facts of the case come out." He hung up the phone and flinched when I stepped forward. "Don't be mad," Ford cried. "I just wanted the conversation to be over. There wasn't anything productive there for us."

I threw my hands up in the air. "How can you tell what is and what isn't productive in the midst of all this chaos?"

As if on cue, the security guards hammered on Ford's front door again. Ford couldn't keep the smile from his face.

"What are you smiling about?" I cried. "How can you be so calm when they're here to take you to the police station?"

Ford reached me in two steps and wrapped me in his arms. I felt his deep, rumbling chuckle before I heard it. "I'm sorry, Clarity, I know this is crazy, but all of this is good news."

I pushed back and pinned him with a skeptical look. "Good news? The article's been erased, security is escorting you to the police, you're going to be sued for libel, and my father is still suspended. How is any of this good news?"

He grinned down at me. "Why would any of this be happening unless what we wrote was the truth?"

The full power of what he pointed out swept over me and I was glad for his strong arms around my waist. I swayed into him and then leaned back with a tentative smile. "We never would have gotten this kind of response unless it was true. Now they're scrambling to cover it up. That's why the president called: he's looking for the best way to spin this."

"Let's hope, for his sake, he doesn't go with the Clarity Dunkirk was brainwashed angle. I'm not sure he could survive another conversation with you," Ford chuckled again.

I hugged him tight and pretended I didn't hear the insistent knocking on the front door. "So, now what?"