Page 19 of Bred By the Boss

I hear a soft gasp somewhere nearby, footsteps as people draw near. The room has gone quiet enough to hear the murmurs of people asking what’s going on. I even see the flash of a camera out of the corner of my eye.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Robert barks shakily as his face turns somehow even more red.

“You don’t?” Noelle asks. “Surely you remember the woman who loved you in spite of your abuse and neglect. Then again, men like you never remember their victims, now do they?”

Another gasp from the crowd. Noelle stands tall as her father shrinks in on himself.

That’s when she decides to deliver her final words to him. “Keep my mother’s name out of your mouth.” She glances up at me before looking back at him one last time, eyes shining fiercely. “And never ever touch me again or I’ll press charges.”

And with that, she walks away.

My eyes follow her as she goes, and as soon as I realize she’s headed for the restrooms, I turn back to look at Robert.

The dumbfounded expression on his face is worth a thousand words. Too bad he’s not worth a single one to me. His gaze turns to me, and I watch as it glints with a spark of recognition.

“Holmes, is that you?”

“Robert,” I say through gritted teeth. “Seems I’m not the only person you’ve fucked over.”

He scoffs, swaying on his feet. “I don’t know what you’re referring to.”

“I don’t think I have to,” I say, shrugging at the room around us. “I’m not the only one who can dig up dirt around here. I see a number of important journalists are here tonight. They’ll have plenty to start putting together a big exposé, don’t you think?”

Somehow, Robert Peterson’s splotchy face pales.

“Extortion, blackmail, contract violations. And now unpaid child support.” I shake my head at him. “The story practically writes itself. You’ll never have an investor, let alone have the power to screw over some poor kid fresh out of college with a computer science degree.”

As I look at the sad, drunk old man quiver before me, I realize that it’s time for me to hold on. For so long, ruining his life like he ruined my own was my only motivation in life. I wanted to show him, and the world, that I could bounce back from becoming homeless and alone after being made destitute by his shitty business practices.

Now I realize that I’m not the only one he’s hurt, and that the ultimate revenge is to have him watch Noelle and I live a happy life.

And that’s when I decide it’s time for me to go after Noelle.

Without another word, I walk away, tracing the path she took to get out of the ballroom. But once I’m out in the lobby, I can’t find her.

Fuck.

Within seconds, I locate a bellboy and tap on his shoulder to get his attention. “Hey, have you seen a woman walk this way? Blond hair, long black dress?” Love of my life? The woman made for me that I was made for?

He looks me up and down with a furrowed brow. “Why do you want to know?”

“I’m her date. She left in a huff because of some shit her father said in the ballroom.”

The kid eyes me suspiciously before nodding slowly. “Sorry. Can’t be too careful. Most of the people who ask me stuff like that are creeps. She’s in the stairwell, I think. Not sure if she’s still there but that’s where I saw her headed.”

I pull out my wallet and draw out a twenty-dollar bill, which I press into his hand before thanking him and making my way to where he pointed.

As soon as I burst into the stairwell, I see Noelle.

She’s sitting at the bottom of the steps, head in her hands. I breathe a sigh of relief.

“Kitten—”

“Don’t call me that!” she hisses at me, lifting her head to meet my gaze. “What the hell was that in there?”

“Noelle—”

“Did you know he was going to be here? Did you know what that man was to me?” she cries, her face fiery with bitterness. “You must’ve run a background check on me at some point. You would have found the connection—”

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