Page 15 of Salvaged Hearts

“From you,” she muttered, shrugging her shoulder before turning the computer monitor toward me. “Seeing as all I’ve accomplished in the last two years of dedication is an adequate latte, I no longer feel the need to earn your respect. I’ll be out of here in no time, and you’re clearly not a reference for future endeavors.”

I winced and started, “Look, Alessandra?—”

“No,” she cut off my protest, shaking her head as she held up her hand, “thanks for making it perfectly clear what I’ve contributed to this company. I no longer feel remorseful leaving, as any bimbo with two brain cells will be able to successfully fetch your coffee.”

“Alessandra, I?—”

“Don’t need to explain anything about our conversation, but don’t be offended when I put Oliver down as my superior.”

Ollie shrugged, adding, “You have my ringing endorsement. But uh, let’s move this along, Rhodes.”

“Move.What. Along?” I snarled before jamming my eyes closed and hating myself just that much more. Tone and tact were two skillsets I’d never particularly mastered outside the boardroom.

“You’re going to be real glad you still have me and Tiff both working this week,” she muttered.

“Alessandra, answer my question, please.” The way those gray-blues snapped to me, scowl carving her pretty face at my use of the word please had me feeling like an absolute douche.

“Had an interesting conversation this morning,” she explained casually, leaning back in my chair as she folded her arms over her chest.

In my experience, power lay in silence, so I turned to lean against the desk, sliding my hands into my pockets and feigning disinterest. “Oh?”

“Reporters ambushed me on my way in today to ask if I wanted to make a statement regarding the embezzlement allegations leveled against you.”

Every drop of blood in my body turned to ice. There it was. The niggling anxiety in my chest. “I’m not embezzling.”

“I assumed.” And yet, her eyes were narrowed on me.

“Really?” I drawled, hiding my surprise that she wouldn’t immediatelyassumethe worst in me.

“You’re a shitty boss, but you came home for Mattie.”

“True,” Ollie agreed from where he was now bracing on his knees in the corner.

I shot him a glare before looking back at her and demanding, “Explain.”

“Why would you do all of that just to rob her of her future? You’re not exactly subtle about the history with your father, so you didn’t come back for him.”

“Let me get this straight. You didn’t believe the press, and yet here you are…digging?” What she believed she’d find, I wasn’t entirely sure.

A wry smile stretched her lips. “Trust but verify.”

Unblinking, I flatly asked, “Are we in a Cold War, Ms. Rhodes?”

“You tell me,” she countered slowly before glancing at the screen. For someone who played an impressively convincingdoormat for the last two years, she certainly held her ground, her chin raised and shoulders back. It was only the momentary line between her brows as she glanced at the monitor that gave away her uncertainty, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared.She knew something.

Jaw clenching, I didn’t respond before Reggie slipped in the door, worry lining his austere features.

“Morning, Reginald,” she chirped as I straightened to my full height, hands still in my pockets. “We’re almost done here.”

Irritation quickly replaced confusion as he looked from Alessandra to me. “What in the hell is going on? You just abandoned me before I’d exited the town car.”

“Ms. Rhodes here had a concerning run-in with some members of the press,” I supplied. When her eyes flew to mine, I gave her a nearly imperceptible shake of my head.Not here, I willed her to understand. I turned to my uncle and added, “She alerted me to the incident during our drive to work, which is why I had Mike hop on security, but I wanted to make sure she was okay myself.”

“Oh, Christ, I thought something was terribly wrong.” Then, he had the afterthought to ask her, “Are you alright, Ms. Rhodes? Did they touch you?”

“No, sir.” Her focus met mine. Which was why the cold bead of sweat dripping between my shoulder blades was the one point of contact I had with my surroundings until she breathed, “I was checking with Mr. Hart to see how he’d like to proceed.”

Relief slid through my veins as my mind spun through options like a roulette wheel. Keeping a monotone, I explained, “Evidently, the scavengers at theEmerald Dailyhave forgotten how inconvenient a defamation lawsuit is and are looking to sling accusations my way.”

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