bAPTER /bb0112 /b

ric’s POV:

“Fucking hell.”

It had been a long fucking while since I had a bad day.

Drama with my family, with rissa… I never considered those as bad days. Those were just minor

inconveniences.

But todayb? /b

Somebody was going to end up regretting why they ever applied to work at mypanyb–/bif they even lived to regret it, that is.

Fifty million dors. That was what someone had moved from thepany’s ount to the wrong beneficiary.

“I didn’t authorize this, sir.” Dana breathed, looking straight into the screen of myptop with her brows pulled together. She nced at me nervously, and I watched her throat bob as she swallowed, turning

back to face the screen.

Whatever expression I had on my face was enough to make her fidget. And I watched her every move.

The way her fingers dug into the edge of the mahogany desk, the light sheen of sweat that had coated her

face.

Dana wasn’t guilty–I knew that. But she was still terrified of what I might do.

b“/bI p–promise, I… I don’t know how this happened. It was just an hour ago I received an email from Mr.

Morales-”

“So why are byou /bshaking, Dana?” I asked firmly. She nced at me again, her eyes widening as she stood

upright. I leaned back in my seat. “bIf /byou didn’t authorize this, why do you look so guiltyb?/bb” /b

“I’m not guiltyb, /bI’m nervous.” Her jaw was set tight. “I’ve been working here long enough to know what happens to those who cross you. And to be honest…” Her gaze dropped. “You’re looking at me like you’re

certain I did it.”

My jaw tightened. “I’m certain someone did it.” My gaze shifted to the door as three knocks sounded on it. “And it looks like he’s here. That’ll be all for now, Dana,” I muttered. “Have the tech department trace the

scam ount.”

The money was gone, and it was going to take everything inside of me to control my anger around bmy /bfucking assistant.

I hadn’t spoken to him yet, but bI /bknew it was him. I fucking knew it.

+15 bBONUS /b

bOver /bthe past few weeks, he’d been doing everything he could to impress meb–/bespecially after that day bI /bcaught him unconscious in my mother’s gardening shed after rissa had drugged him with her sleeping pills.

It was still fucking crazy when I thought about it, and hard to believe it happened. But Cross tripping over his own damn shoes just to attend to my needs was a constant reminder that it had indeed happened.

Tyler pushed the door open just as Dana approached it. She shot him a dirty look–one that had him jerking his head backward in shock and confusion.

But when he shifted his gaze to me, he instantly knew that something was wrong.

“Come in, Cross,” I muttered. “And pour me a cup of coffee from the coffeemaker, will you?”

He nodded fiercely, heading toward the coffeemaker, but then I clicked my tongue, narrowing my gaze at

him.

b“/bYou know what? I’m suddenly in need of something stronger. There’s a half–empty bottle of bourbon on

top of the mini fridge. Bring it, and a ss.”

Tyler froze, his eyes widening as he turned to me. “Um, sir, I—”

“Finished my bottle of bourbon?” I murmured, feeling my lips twitch. “Oh, I know, Cross.”

The bastard hade into my office when I was absent, and had drank my bourbon, swiveled in my chair, put his fucking feet on my desk…

“Do byou /bthink I don’t have cameras in my office?”

His face paled until it was as white as a sheet, and he looked around the corners, just like I’d seen him do in the camera feed when he was searching for them. “You can’t see them. Don’t bother.”

“S–sir, bI/b…”

bI /btilted my head. “The empty bottle. Bring it.”

Heplied without question, although his movements were jerky. When he stopped in front of my desk, the bottle in hand, I studied him. His hard face, the terrified expression on it, hisnky build covered in a blue shirt tucked into a pair of cks.

He was such a fucking loser. bIt /bpained me so much that Meadow was ever with him. That she ever loved

him.

He didn’t deserve to be loved by anyone–especially her.

b“/bYou want what I have so badly that you would dare sit in my chairb?/bb” /bI rose to my bfeet/b.

He shook his head profuselyb, /bstuttering. b“/bbN/b–nob, /bsir. I only-b” /b

b+15 /bbBONUS /b

“Wellb, /bbgo /bbon/b,” bI /bburged/bb, /bbstepping /baside. Sit.”

bTyler’s /bbeyes /bbhad /bwidened way past their limit. He swallowed. “Sir-”

b“/bbDo /bbnot /bmake bme /brepeat bmyself/b.” bMy /bvoice was firm and cold. So cold, it made him jump out of his skin

b“/bbYes/bb, /bsir,” he murmured. He tried to move past me to the chair, but a single arch of my brow and he was bturning /baround bto /bgo through the other side.

Tyler made eye bcontact /bwith me before he slowly lowered himself into my chair. He didn’t sit back–be was more… perched on the edge of the seat than anything.

b“/bHands on the desk,” I ordered, picking up the slightly heavy bottle from where he had dropped itb. /b

“S–sirb?/bb” /b

I fixed him with a look and he swallowed, raising his shaky hands and cing them on the table, palms facing down.

b“/bJust out of curiosity,b” /bI started, walking around the table until I was directly across from him. “Do you have any idea who my wife is?”

Tyler shook his head. “No, sir.‘

My brows drew together. I’d assumed by now that Juniper had already told him. That it may have been the reason he decided to fool around in my office.

But that didn’t seem to be the case.

Even fucking better.

I bfelt /bba /bsmirk pull bat /bthe corner of my lips as I moved the bottle in my hand until bit /bwas hovering over his syed hands.

bJust /bone bquick /bmovement and bI /bcould smash his fucking fingers and it would take a long fucking time before he can ever use a keyboard again.

But that bwasn’t /bthe kind of man bI /bwas. Not anymore.

Of course, bif /bTrip were here, I’d have him do it. Not me. But seeing the look of fear sh in Tyler’s eyes was worth it ball/b.

“So you had no reason,” I continued. “No reason at all to step into my office, drink my bourbon, sit in my chair and hang those filthy legs on my desk?b” /b

I didn’t think it was even possible ifor /ihis face to get any paler. But here he was, proving me wrong.

b“/bNo, sir,” he replied quickly. b“/bbNo /breason at all.”

I hummed. “And no reason whatsoever to authorize a fifty million dor transaction without a second

authentication from me?b” /b

He sucked in a breath. “Sir, I was only trying to-

i〃 /i

BANGb! /b+15 bBONUS /b

bCH/b