“Okay, Lorelei. If that’s what you feel is necessary. Hang in there. He’ll come around eventually.”

I gave Garrett a small smile and went back up to my desk. When I got back, Jack was in his office. Shit. His meeting didn’t last too long.

“Where were you?” he yelled from his desk.

“Bathroom. Is that okay or did you want me to pee all over my desk?” I blurted out.

“Get in my office NOW!” he commanded.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Taking in a deep inhalation, I walked into his office.

“Shut the damn door.”

I shut the door and then turned and looked at his angry face.

“I don’t need your smart-ass mouth. Do you understand me?” He pointed directly at me.

“Yes. I understand.”

“Is Hope the reason why you didn’t go to Paris?”

I needed to sit down because my knees were shaking something terrible.

“Yes. I couldn’t leave her.”

“So you fucking lied to me again?”

“Yes.” I looked down as I crossed my hands.

“So your mother was never sick?”

I shook my head without saying a word.

“You’re quite the little liar, aren’t you?”

Tears started to fill my eyes. Oh hell no, there was no way I was going to let him see me cry.

“I guess I am and I’m sorry, Jack.”

“You’re sorry? Sorry for what? Lying to me? Letting me fuck you and get close to you? What? What are you sorry for, Lorelei?”

Suddenly, rage started to fill my body when he asked me that. A rage I never knew existed until now. My head shot up at him like I was possessed and my eyes stared directly into his.

“I’m sorry that you’re angry and I’m sorry that you can’t understand why I didn’t tell you about Hope. But I was going to tell you today.”

“Of course you were. How convenient now that I already found out. Was your boyfriend who was killed Hope’s father?”

“Yes, and you know what the hardest part of all that was? He didn’t even know I was pregnant. He was on his way over to my house the night I was going to tell him. I made his favorite dinner and I bought a pair of baby booties and set them on his plate at the table. I kept trying to call him because he was taking longer than usual, but all I kept getting was his voicemail. I knew deep down inside something had happened. I got in my car and drove the route from the shop he worked at to my house. That was when I saw the flashing lights of the police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances. As I got closer to the scene, I saw his car.” I wiped a single tear that fell from my eye. “I screamed his name and began to run towards the accident. A cop grabbed me and held me back, telling me that they were trying to get him out of the car. All I wanted to do was go to him, but they wouldn’t let me. That was when I heard the paramedic say he was dead. So there are three things in my life that I’m sorry for. Not getting the chance to tell my boyfriend, whom I loved deeply, that he was going to be a father, for not telling you about Hope from the beginning, and for you never finding out what it’s like to truly love someone. But the one thing I’m NOT sorry for is having her. She is my life and my world and I love her more than life itself. She was a gift from God that got me through his death. She gave me the strength to go on and move on with my life and I would do anything to protect her.” I got up from my seat, leaned over his desk, and pointed my finger at him. “So if you want to hold me having a daughter against me, then go right ahead. I DON’T GIVE A FUCK!” I yelled.

“I’m not holding it against you.” His voice was calm. “I just wish you would have told me from the start. That’s all. I told you before that I hate games and I don’t play them. So, let’s both calm down and just try to move on with our professional relationship.”

“Can you do that, Jack?”

“Yes, Lorelei. I can. We had our words and now we can go about our business.”

“Fine,” I spoke with attitude.

“Okay. You may go back to your desk. Or do you need to leave? Maybe collect yourself or something?”

“No. I’m fine.”

“Okay. You may leave now.”

I walked out of his office and took a seat at my desk. Now that Jack and I had it out, I felt somewhat better, but I was angry at myself for telling him everything I did about the accident.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Jack

Damn her. Hearing her story upset me. Why the fuck would I be upset? Maybe because I cared about her and I shouldn’t. Throwing a kid in the mix changed everything. There was no way in hell I could get involved with her when she had a child. I planned to move past all of this, to go about my life and my business like I did before I ever laid my eyes on Lorelei.

I got up from my desk and told her that I was going to the accounting department. When I stepped into Bradley’s office, I asked Wes, the person working on Bradley’s computer, if he found anything yet.

“I did, Mr. Sutton. I was just coming down to your office. Something doesn’t seem right. The offshore accounts that Bradley put the money into are in the name of Kit Sutton, your mother.”

“What? Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I was able to hack into the bank’s system and the accounts are in her name. So technically, Bradley hasn’t embezzled anything. He’s been putting the money away for your mom.”

I stood there in disbelief as I stared at the computer screen, pondering why my mother would do such a thing.

“Thank you. I appreciate your hard work.”

“No problem, Mr. Sutton. It’s my job.” He smiled.

I took a seat behind Bradley’s desk and called Lindsey into the office.

“Yes, Mr. Sutton.”

“Has my mother been down here to see Bradley?”

“A couple of times. But I know they’ve met outside the company.”

“How do you know that?”

“I saw them one night having dinner at Sage and they were arguing. Your mother was pointing her finger at him. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but I could tell she was angry.”

“Did they see you?”

“No. They didn’t.”

“How long ago was this?”

“About a month ago. I remember because I took my boyfriend there for his birthday. I’m not going to get in trouble, am I?”

“Of course not. I appreciate you telling me. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Thank you, Mr. Sutton.”

As I was walking back to my office, I saw Lorelei come out of the bathroom.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“I’m fine. Are you?”

“Yes.”

“Good,” she spoke with a hint of an attitude and sat down at her desk while I went into my office and shut the door.

****

A few days passed and I still hadn’t talked to my mother about the accounts. Nor did I tell Coco what I found out. I was waiting for the private investigator with the hopes he’d find Bradley first. Lorelei and I held very small conversations during the day and they mainly concerned work. I had some paperwork to give her, and when I opened my office door, I saw Hope run to Lorelei and give her a hug.

“Hey, baby, what are you doing here?” she asked.

“We wanted to know if you want to go to lunch with us. Auntie Stella said it would be okay to come here and ask you. Plus, I wanted to see where you worked. Hi, Mr. Sutton.” She smiled as she looked at me with her blue eyes.

“Hello.”

“This is my Auntie Stella. She picked me up from school today because I got out early.”

“Nice to meet you, Stella.” I nodded.

Her eyes shot daggers at me and I knew right then and there that Lorelei told her everything. She looked at Hope, who was staring up at her, and then she looked back at me.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Sutton. Lorelei has told me a lot about you,” she spoke deadpan.

“I bet she has.” I set the papers on Lorelei’s desk. “I need you to look these over and make the corrections.”

“Sure thing.”

I walked back into my office and by the time I reached my desk, Hope had followed me in.