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)
I was out of my chair and rounding my desk before she made it more than a few steps into the office. “Morgan.” Her name came out rough. “What are you doing here?”
As I moved closer, she seemed to collapse inward, shoulders sagging, knees going weak. I caught her, pulling her against my chest without hesitation. She buried her face in my shirt and took a deep, shuddering breath. There were no sobs, no dramatic crying. Just quiet tears that somehow felt more heartbreaking.
But the fact that she was here now gave me hope for us.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, running my fingers through her soft hair. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I never should have kept the truth from you.”
“No.” She pulled back just enough to look up at me, and I gently brushed away the tears streaking her cheeks. “It’s not just that. I wish you’d told me, yes, but I came here because…”
Her voice cracked and I pulled her to the client chairs in front of my desk, shifting them so that they were facing each other and urging her to sit. I took a seat in front of her, so close that our knees were touching. I didn’t let go of her hands.
“Tell me,” I said gently.
“It’s Parker.” She sniffled and gulped but didn’t start crying again. “You were right about the embezzlement, but it’s so much worse than just stealing from the company.”
I couldn’t imagine how it could get any worse than a man betraying his own family for money. But as she explained about the pills after his surgery, the addiction that spiraled into heroin use, the mounting debts and threats from dealers, I realized she was absolutely right. This was so much more complicated than simple greed. Now, knowing desperation and fear and addiction had driven his choices, it made sense in a tragic way.
“I just don’t know how I missed the signs.” Morgan’s voice was small, defeated, and guilt was written all over her face. “How could I not see that he was struggling?”
I squeezed her hands. “He’s obviously high-functioning, even on the drugs. I’ve spent plenty of time around him over the past couple months, and I never saw any classic signs that he was using. You said even Becca doesn’t know, right?” I asked, and Morgan nodded miserably. “If his own wife doesn’t know, you can’t blame yourself for missing it.”
“I can’t help it.” Her chin quivered. “I hate knowing he’s been struggling and drowning in debt for years because of his addiction and I had no idea. I would’ve helped him, Liam. If he’d just told me—”
“You’re going to help him now,” I said firmly. “It’s not too late. We’ll figure this out together.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks as she looked away in embarrassment. “About yesterday. I know I overreacted, said things I didn’t mean—”
“Stop.” I cupped her face in my hands, making her look at me. “Forget about yesterday. You were protecting your family. I get it. And maybe I should have handled things differently from the start. I should have trusted you with the truth instead of keeping you in the dark.”
“No, I understand why you didn’t tell me.” She took a shaky breath. “I hate to admit it, but it might have been for the best. I never would have suspected Parker. If you’d told me about the missing money early on, I might have mentioned it to him without thinking. I could have tipped him off, given him time to cover his tracks better, and he needed to be caught and held accountable. You were right. I was just too angry and hurt to see that last night.” She pulled one hand free to wipe at her eyes. “God, what a mess.”
“We’ll figure it out,” I promised her, knowing I’d be by her side the entire time. “What does Parker want to do? Has he agreed to get help?”
She nodded. “He wants to go to rehab. I’m going to help him find a good facility, somewhere that specializes in opioid addiction.” She let out a bitter laugh. “The irony is, getting caught might have saved his life. He also said the dealers were getting more aggressive with their threats. He was terrified but saw no way out.”
“And the embezzlement?”
“He wants to confess everything to my dad. Face whatever consequences that come.” Morgan’s voice steadied slightly. “I told him I’d be there with him when he does it. He shouldn’t have to go through that alone.”
Pride swelled in my chest. Even after everything—the lies, the betrayal, the heartbreak—Morgan’s first instinct was to support her family.
“When are you telling Samuel?” I asked.
“This afternoon. I wanted to talk to you first.” She met my eyes, vulnerable and open in a way that made my throat tight. “I needed to apologize. And I needed you to know that I trust you. Even when it’s hard, even when the truth hurts, I trust you.”