Page 153 of Collateral Damage
I blink at him. “You did what?”
“I was at home and deep in my work last night. I obviously missed a lot. As soon as I realized what went down, you had already blocked me.” He raises an eyebrow. “I called your mother, and she helped me set up this meeting.”
My mouth dries, and I just stand there, scrambling to find a response. The words are caught somewhere between my heart and my brain.
“I’m never going to let you down again, Sybil.” He squeezes my hand. “I promise. Even if youdidblock my number. I almost bought another phone solely so I could call you.”
I frown. “It was hours before I made that decision. I went to your office, but you weren’t there.”
Dark shadows pass over his face. “You must have come by when I stepped out. I never would’ve ignored you.”
“Your dad and Lance were there?—”
“I know,” he cuts me off, his tone angry again. “Believe me. Myfatheralready got an earful about the shit he pulled.”
I want to ask for more information, but the elevator doors open, and he leads me to the large boardroom.
Several faces I know well turn to us at once.
My thoughts spiral in a million directions, and I swallow hard. My cheeks prickle with embarrassment—they all know I lostTop of the World. I wasn’t ready to face the Laurence company board, let alone my mother, his father, and Lance Vale. Even the tv-screen is lit on the far wall, with people who’ve video-conferenced in. What could Cooper have to say to all these people?
“Cooper,” I whisper under my breath, but he steps forward, immediately taking control of the room.
“Thank you for meeting this morning. We are busy people, so I’ll keep this brief.”
“Son, what is this about?” A crease forms between Conrad’s eyebrows. He’s sitting next to Lance Vale, and I can barely look at them without wanting to scream obscenities.
“We’ve already done the emergency-coup meeting thing,” Vale adds, his glare heavy in my direction. “It didn’t work, remember?”
Mom stiffens, turning on the two men. “Shut your mouths for once.”
“As I was saying…” Cooper continues, trying to hide his grin. “I’m going to make this brief. A few months ago, you were given proof Lance Vale had hacked into Sybil’s work computer and was trying to sabotage her, but most of you choose to sweep that under the rug.”
One of our most Vale-sympathetic board members clears his throat. “That investigation is ongoing.”
The corner of Coop’s lips rise. “Your investigation is a joke.”
The board member moves to stand up. “I don’t have to be here for this. I’m late for my tee-time.”
“Sit your ass down, Kristof,” Mom chastises, and the man’s face turns pink.
Oh wow, Mom isonone. I’ve never seen her so pissed.
“Thank you, Amelia,” Cooper says, turning to Kristof and the others. “Your investigation didn’t prove Vale’s guilt, since your investigation was biased from the start. Too many of you are in Vale’s pockets, and I would wager to bet he’s either blackmailed you or paid you off to get his way. If he hasn’t done those things yet, trust me, he’s working on it.”
“Excuse me?” Vale jumps to his feet, index finger pointing at Cooper. “This is baseless slander.”
“You better be able to prove these claims, son,” Conrad adds.
“Oh, I can, and sorry, I didn’t mean to say I would bet. I meant to say Ican proveLance Vale has paid off or blackmailed half the people in this room, and he’s working on the rest. If he hasn’t gotten you under his thumb, watch out. He’ll sabotage you the way he’s done to Sybil.”
“You have a lot of nerve?—”
“I took it upon myself to start my own investigation weeks ago, and I have definitiveproof.”
The room goes dead silent, and several pairs of eyes widen in Vale’s direction. The tone shifts completely.
“When I learned how you all failed Sybil weeks ago, I took it upon myself to hire the best hacking and private detective team in the business. I spared no expense, because I was certain they’d find something, and I was right.”
