“Yes. I’m with you all the way. That’s if you want me to be?”
“Of course, I do. But this doesn’t look good on you, Lourde, and your family.”
“I’m with you,” she repeated.
“Okay, let’s talk about it later. I have to get changed and go into the office to meet everyone.”
“I’m coming with you.”
“No.” My voice came out more forceful than it should have, and I instantly regretted my tone.
She looked at me, hurt.
“I’m sorry, Lourde, I got myself into this mess, and I have to do this on my own. I’ll call you later.”
I walked away, leaving her with a painful expression plastered across her beautiful face. I just couldn’t bear to see her that way?
* * *
After three hours of meetings, I felt like we were going in circles. Sure, we’d taken the necessary legal steps to sue her for defamation. We’d also drafted an official response my lawyer was set to read to the press, but we weren’t any closer to finding out the why. Like why Jessica, who I hardly knew, would want to hurt me like this? What her motivation was and if there was a connection to whoever it was after me.
But that was it. We were no closer to finding out the why.
Despite my team’s best efforts, we were no closer to finding out who was behind the crane incident or the fire.
Maybe this was my penance for what happened to Mom.Fuck, I pushed the nonsensical thought away.
Olivia poked her head through the boardroom. “Got a minute?” she asked, pulling me out of my downward spiral.
“Yes. Guys, can you give us a moment, please?”
“Perfect, I’m starved,” Ivy said.
“Food should be out there. I asked Aimee to arrange it on my way in.”
“Thanks, Barrett,” they all looked at me like I’d given them a lifeline.
“Olivia, come in.”
A low hush came over the room as everyone exited. The weight of the press had hit the building in a shroud of bullets, shattering the work culture I’d built up in an instant.
“Close the door.”
“You sure that’s a good idea after the recent allegations.”
“Jesus, fuck, Olivia.”
“Okay, sorry, I had to lighten the mood somehow.”
I laughed. God knows how under the circumstances.
She sat down. “I know this isn’t true. Everyone who knows you knows this isn’t true. You have hundreds of testimonies in this building alone.”
“Thanks, Olivia.”
“I don’t get it.”
“I don’t either, but someone’s out to ruin me.”
“Are you any closer to finding out?”
“They say we are, but I don’t know.”
“How’s Lourde with it all?”
I looked up at her, my heart heavy, my shoulders slumped forward.
“Oh,” she let out.
“No, she’s fine. She’s supportive as hell.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I’ve missed three calls from her brother and four from Alfred.”
“Alfred Diamond?”