Page 86 of Silver Fox's Secret Triplets
"Meranda." The pieces clicked into place with sickening clarity. "She didn't decide to go after my company on her own. You encouraged her."
Nick's face went carefully blank. "That's a serious accusation."
"It's not an accusation. It's a fact." I stepped closer, my voice dropping to a whisper. "You planted the idea in her head. Made her think she could take my place."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"The hell you don't." I watched his face, looking for any tell, any sign of guilt. "You knew exactly what buttons to push. You knew how to make her believe she deserved more than what we had."
"Duncan, you're being paranoid."
"Am I?" I grabbed my phone from the bench and started dialing. "Let's find out what the board thinks about your little power play."
"Wait." Nick's composure finally cracked. "You can't be serious."
"I'm calling an emergency meeting. Tonight." I kept dialing, my eyes never leaving his face. "I'm going to tell them exactly what kind of man they've been working with."
"You have no proof."
"I don't need proof. I need them to know that I won't tolerate anyone undermining my authority as CEO." I finished dialing and held the phone to my ear. "You're done, Nick."
He stared at me for a long moment, then turned and walked out without another word. I watched him go, feeling oddly empty despite the victory. The rage was still there, burning in my chest, but it had shifted focus. Nick was a symptom, not the disease.
The disease was the fear that I'd lost Ivy again, which was why I had dialed her number and not other board members, though I'd get to that soon enough.
I tried calling her number, but it rang endlessly before going to voicemail. I sent three texts, each one more desperate than the last. The silence stretched on, eating at me with each passing minute.
Finally, I gave up and got in my car without even showering. The drive to Bill's house felt both endless and far too short. My heart hammered against my ribs as I turned onto his street, my mind racing through every possible scenario. What if she refused to see me? What if she'd already decided I was exactly the kind of man her father said I was?
I parked across the street and stared at the house where I'd spent so many evenings years ago, back when Bill considered me a friend. The lights were on in the living room. She was in there somewhere, probably convinced that I was planning to abandon her again.
I had to make her understand. I had to explain about the retirement plans, about why I'd been so careful not to promiseher anything I couldn't deliver. But first, I had to get through that front door.
I walked up the porch steps and knocked. Footsteps approached from inside, and I held my breath.
The door opened—then slammed shut in my face after the briefest glimpse of Bill's angry glare.
I stood there for a moment, staring at the wood grain, then knocked again. This time, I wasn't leaving until I'd gotten a chance to talk to Ivy.
35
IVY
Istood frozen in the hallway with feet that felt like ice cubes. The sound of the doorbell still reverberated through the house, and I knew who waited on the other side of that door before Mom called my name.
"Ivy, honey. Duncan's here."
My heart contracted painfully in my chest. I hadn't expected him to come, hadn't expected anything after what I'd overheard. I pressed my palms against my eyes, trying to stop the tears that threatened to fall. More than three years of building walls around my heart, of convincing myself I was better off alone, and it felt like I'd let those walls down only to be hurt again. Now here he was on my doorstep, unraveling everything I thought I knew about moving forward.
I walked toward the front door, and when I opened it, Duncan stood there with his hands shoved deep in his coat pockets, his face etched with the same exhaustion I felt bone-deep.
"I'm sorry," I said before he could speak. "I'm sorry I ran off but I couldn't?—"
"No." He shook his head, his voice rough. "I'm the one who's sorry. I should have told you about the retirement plans. I should have explained?—"
"Ivy?" Mom's voice interrupted from behind me. I turned to see her walking down the hallway, Elena balanced on her hip. Her dark hair was mussed from sleep, and she rubbed her eyes with tiny fists. Dad followed close behind, carrying Sammy, while Chrissy toddled between them, her small hand gripping Dad's pants leg.
Duncan's expression softened as his gaze landed on Elena in Mom's arms. My little girl had been cranky all evening, but she perked up when she saw him, reaching her arms out with a sleepy smile.
