Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67973 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67973 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Simon wanted to contact the authorities immediately, but I talked him into waiting a couple of days, to give me a chance to handle it a different way. I wasn’t even sure what I planned to do, but I knew it had to start with telling Morgan so she wasn’t blindsided.
My heart sat like a rock in my chest as I arrived at her apartment. She’d been out of the office most of the day in meetings, and I was grateful because I knew she’d pick up on the fact that something was bothering me right away.
This was our second dinner at her place this week. Last time, I’d been able to push my concerns about Parker aside and just be present with her. We’d had an enjoyable meal, we’d conversed and kept things light, ending the night with her bent over the back of the couch and me losing my mind inside her. I wanted that again. I wanted to grab her, bury my face in her neck, and pretend that I wasn’t about to fracture her entire world.
But I couldn’t. It was bad enough that I’d kept everything from her until now. The guilt I carried was festering inside me. I couldn’t hold back the truth any longer.
I forced myself to knock, and she opened the door with a smile that made my chest ache. I caught the scent of garlic and tomato sauce, but as delicious as the meal smelled, I had zero appetite.
She greeted me with a kiss, but she must have sensed my reluctance because she pulled back, her smile instantly fading. Her hand came up to cup my cheek, her thumb brushing my skin.
“Liam?” Her gaze searched mine. “What’s wrong?”
It was terrifying how in sync we were. How well she already knew me. But what I had to tell her tonight was going to be the first true test of our relationship.
“We need to talk,” I said, my voice rougher than I’d intended.
“Okay…” She looked confused, and concerned. “Do you want a drink first? Or dinner?”
I shook my head. “No, not yet.”
I took her hand. It felt small and warm in mine, and I gave it a gentle squeeze before leading her over to the brown suede couch in the living room. I sat down and pulled her onto the cushion next to me, turning so I could face her fully.
Her posture was visibly tense. “Liam, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?”
I kept hold of her hand, rubbing my thumb across her knuckles, trying to find the words. Every way I’d rehearsed this in my head sounded wrong. Everything about this was fucking gut-wrenching and I had to force myself to speak.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” I said, swallowing hard. “Something I should have told you sooner but I was waiting until I had proof.”
Her brow furrowed. “Proof of what?”
“GalvaTech has been losing money for the past year, well before Simon and I invested. It’s been well hidden up until now, but our forensic accountant found it.”
Shock transformed her features. “Forensic accountant? What are you talking about? I didn’t know you—”
“We kept it from you,” I admitted, hating how the words hung heavy between us. “Simon and I, we noticed some discrepancies in the financial reports, and we decided to investigate it ourselves without telling you or your family.”
Hurt flared in her eyes, sharp and immediate. Fuck. We’d barely scratched the surface of what I had to tell her, and she was already in pain.
“The losses have gotten worse since our investment,” I pressed on. “And that extra million Simon and I just put into the company has already started to disappear.”
“No.” She abruptly stood, shaking her head in denial like she could physically reject the information. “That can’t be right. I don’t believe anyone at GalvaTech would do such a thing.”
“It’s not just anyone,” I said, also getting to my feet. “It’s Parker.”
She froze, staring at me in stark disbelief. She didn’t even have to say a word for me to know that she thought I was insane for suggesting such a thing.
“It’s true.” I reached for her hand, but she stepped back, the rejection hitting me like a punch to the gut. “I wouldn’t accuse him without being certain, Morgan. You know me better than that.”
“It’s not possible,” she said in a calm voice that did nothing to soften the anger in her eyes. “Parker wouldn’t do that. This is our family’s company. He wouldn’t hurt us that way. And he makes good money. If he ever needed help, he’d come to us. Or me. This doesn’t make sense. You’re clearly mistaken.”
“The programmer we hired set up a trace on the new funds,” I explained, keeping my tone even despite the frustration building in my chest. “It led straight back to Parker. His computer. His login credentials. There’s no doubt.”