Chapter 3 - THE MORNING AFTER
Sunlight sliced through the blinds, hitting Audrey straight in the eyes. She was sitting at her kitchen island, a cold cup of coffee in her hands, the forged resignation letter still sitting on the counter next to the silver watch.
A groan came from the living room.
Cameron sat up slowly, clutching his head. His suit shirt was wrinkled, his tie discarded on the rug. He looked around in utter disorientation before his dark eyes locked onto Audrey. The memory of the night before hit him like a physical blow. His jaw tightened, the familiar, icy CEO mask snapping back into place.
“Miss Bennett.” His voice was raspy. “I apologize for the intrusion. I clearly had too much to drink.”
“You broke into my HR file to find my address, showed up at midnight, and passed out on my couch,” Audrey said evenly. She wasn’t at the office. She didn’t have to play the submissive assistant here. “I think we’re past formal apologies.”
Cameron stood, smoothing his ruined shirt. “I will compensate you for the inconvenience. Now, if you’ll excuse—”
“Who is the girl?”
Cameron froze. He looked at the kitchen counter. When he saw the open pocket watch, a flash of pure, unadulterated rage crossed his face. He crossed the room in two strides, snatching the watch from the granite.
“Do not go through my things,” he snarled.
“It fell,” Audrey countered, standing her ground. She pushed the forged resignation letter toward him. “Just like this fell out of your coat. Mind explaining why you’re carrying around my fake resignation? Were you planning to fire me and make it look like I quit?”
Cameron looked at the letter. The anger drained from his face, replaced by genuine shock. He picked up the paper, his hands trembling slightly. “I didn’t write this. I have never seen this in my life.”
“It has my signature, Cameron!”
“It’s a forgery.” He looked up at her, the desperation from last night bleeding back into his eyes. “Audrey, I would never let you leave. You’re the only thing holding my life together right now.”
The confession hung in the air, heavy and intimate.
“The girl in the watch,” Cameron said softly, closing the silver casing. “She’s my niece, Mia. My brother’s daughter. When he died three years ago, I took her in. I’ve raised her in secret to protect her from the press.”
“Then who took her?” Audrey asked, her voice softening.
“Elaine. My sister-in-law. She lost custody because of her severe addiction issues. But she’s clean now, or so she claims, and she filed an emergency petition yesterday. She’s claiming I’m an unfit guardian because I work too much.” He stared at the forged letter. “Elaine planted this. She knows you run my schedule. If you leave abruptly, claiming a hostile environment, it proves her point to the judge.”
Audrey’s mind raced. “We need to call your lawyers.”
Before Cameron could reply, his phone buzzed on the coffee table. He picked it up, his face draining of all color.
May you like
Audrey stepped closer. “What is it?”
Cameron turned the screen toward her. It was a text from Elaine. Thanks for the company last night at the bar, Cam. You were a mess. Mia says goodbye.
