Lucky This Isn't Real: MacBride Brothers Series St. Patrick's Day Fake Fiance Romance by Jamie Knight (good books to read for beginners txt) 📗

It was a mistake. There was no way I was getting past that way. I might as well try to get past the Black Knight as getting past Hazel.

I was planning to quit anyway but still wanted to keep up appearances. There could be a complaint about my outburst, but it didn’t seem likely. I had the feeling it wasn’t the first time Hazel had to intercept an irate former assistant. Trying to calm down, I went back down to the junior floor to bide my time.

“You’re back,” Dana said.

“For now.”

“Still need the resignation?”

“No, thanks. I’ll write it myself if the time comes. I want to use some language I doubt you’ll be comfortable with.”

“Hey,” Dana said, taking my hand as I passed. Very unprofessional, but she didn’t seem to care very much, “I heard about what happened. For what it’s worth, we’re all on your side.”

“Thanks. That means a lot.”

It did mean a lot, even if it didn’t help get Emil fired. The prick was bulletproof without solid evidence. He was a founding partner of the firm and would have to be shown to be a liability before the other partners moved against him. It made me so mad, but I knew as well as anyone how things worked.

My new boss was actually pretty cool. A new hire fresh out of Harvard law, he had yet to be thoroughly indoctrinated into the firm’s toxic culture, which I was only beginning to really notice myself. I’d been protected by working for Nicole. The new guy, Seth, had trouble remembering my name, but to be fair, it was his first day, and he’d only received a call last night to start today. At least he didn’t constantly stare at my ass while I was filing or try to paw at me. If anything, he was trying to keep his own truck on the road and barely noticed me at all.

The powers that be were probably trying to shame me. Not only kicking me back downstairs but sticking me with a green newbie. If that had been Emil’s plan, it backfired epically. The new working situation made me more willing to stay around. I was still livid about him blacklisting Nicole, though, and Emil Chau’s moment of reckoning was coming, and soon. I would make sure of it.

The hour of doom, also known as quitting time, arrived. I didn’t dare try to go back up to the senior floor. I’d be blocked immediately. My best bet was the lobby. Everyone had to go through there, and there was the maximum potential for embarrassment, particularly considering the finger marks on the side of my neck were still visible.

Seth didn’t even notice I left early, giving me ample time to find just the right spot from which to pounce. I’d turned off the camera and phone recorder to save the batteries, but they were now up and running as I waited.

The elevator dinged, rounding me to its arrival. I tried to time it just right, so I could catch Chau as he headed for the doors. The two of us were going in opposite directions, but I was sure the camera captured him.

“How dare you,” I said, my righteous anger in no way put on.

My words echoed through the marble lobby, heads turning in my direction to see what the ruckus was about, just as I’d hoped.

“You assault me and then fire my best friend and blacklist her? I can understand how you would be angry after my boyfriend kicked your ass, but that’s just petty!”

Emil still had a bandage on his head, blood soaking through the white cotton. I could see his partners shifting uncomfortably out of the corner of my eye. It was all I could do not to smile.

“Now, now, there is no need for a fuss,” he said, oozing sleaze, “you should learn to appreciate the opportunities open to you like a good little girl. Especially if you want to keep your job,” he said, lowering his voice just enough for me to hear but, thankfully, he was still loud enough for my recording device to pick up. “Maybe we could work out something in private to reinstate Nicole. I believe we have some unfinished business to attend to. You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours.”

Either he was completely unaware of his own creepiness, or he thought his partners would have his back.

“No thanks,” I said sweetly, “I think I have everything I need.”

I turned on my heel and strode out of the building, the ghost of a smile on my lips turning to full and haunting.

The firm didn’t feel safe, not even in the parking lot. There was too much of a chance that Emil had eyes and ears, so I drove to the park. The same one where I’d spent that beautiful day with Sean before going for pizza with Gavin and Maggie. Getting on my private WiFi network, I downloaded the footage from the camera onto my phone and blended it with the audio, creating a seamless video. I sent the audio through the company chat system. I also sent copies of the video to some select people, including the friendly detective who saw the original video of the assault and even to some lawyers and friends of lawyers I knew, just in case they were interested in building a case. Emil was going to face justice, at least through the firm, if not through the law.

****

“Hello.”

“Hey, Mags, can I come up?”

“Of course!”

The door buzzed immediately. I rushed past the elevator to the stairs, taking them two by two, my heels in my other hand as I gripped the railing.

It was Sean who opened the door because, of course, it