Strict (Part Eight) by Hannah Ford

Strict (Part Eight) by Hannah Ford

Author:Hannah Ford [Ford, Hannah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-09-03T18:30:00+00:00


Chapter 3

GAGE

My foot taps quickly against the floor of the conference room, my body filled with a nervous energy I’m not used to. My phone is next to me on the table, face up, and I glance it every few seconds, waiting for a text from Chloe.

“River would like extra advisory shares,” says River’s lawyer, some prick named McLean Arthur, whose hair plugs need a serious upgrade. But I’m barely listening.

The most important meeting of my career -- of my life, actually, since I’m this close to taking control of Genovin and running it into the ground as my ultimate revenge against River -- and all I can think about is Chloe.

Why hasn’t she texted me back?

All I’ve gotten is a single message, letting me know that the interview is done. When I asked her how it went, she went silent.

“Excuse me,” I say curtly, almost enjoying the look of annoyance that passes over McLean Arthur’s face. Who the fuck gives their child a last name as a first name, especially when their last name is already a first name? “I have to make a call.”

McLean starts to open his mouth to object, but River murmurs something to him in a soothing tone, and he shuts up.

I don’t have a lawyer here. Lawyers are bullshit in meetings like this. To look over a contract before you sign it, sure. To negotiate for you? Fuck that.

Once I’m out in the hallway, I dial Chloe’s number, but it goes to voicemail.

I call her back.

Again.

And again.

Still, no answer.

So I leave a voicemail, which I hate doing.

“Chloe. It’s me. Call me back immediately.” I jam at my phone, annoyed at her for not staying in touch like I ordered her to do, and annoyed at myself for caring so much.

Where the fuck is she?

I turn to head back to the conference room, and almost collide with Willow.

“Jesus Christ,” I mutter, trying to keep control of my temper.

“Was that Chloe?” Willow asks. She’s looking remarkably well for someone who was just coked up out of her mind. She of course refused to stay at a rehab – it would have been her third one, and she didn’t think it would help.

I argued with her, but she wouldn’t budge.

“No,” I say, impatiently. “No, it wasn’t Chloe.”

“Have you talked to her?”

“No.” I go to push by her and back into the conference room, but she speaks again.

“So you didn’t hear what happened?”

“What?” I say, turning around and taking two huge steps back toward her. “What happened?”

“She…she had her meeting with Nicholas. Apparently he told her he would hire her, but only if she used her personal relationship with River to bring Nick into Genovin.”

My stomach turns. Of course Nicholas wanted Chloe for her connection to River – I’d told Chloe that. What I hadn’t considered was that he would be so blatant as to put it right out there.

And then something else occurs to me. This is why she isn’t getting back to me – she’s decided that the internship is more important than our relationship.



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