Chapter 5 - THE WOMAN EVERYONE UNDERESTIMATED
Lily lasted eleven minutes at Vale International before insulting a vice president.
“The numbers are wrong.”
Marcus Bell stared across the conference table.
“They’re audited numbers.”
“They’re still wrong.”
Damian sat at the head of the table, expression unreadable.
Lily pointed at a spreadsheet.
“You say this shelter received twelve hundred food boxes last month.”
“It did.”
“No. It received eight hundred and twelve.”
Marcus leaned back.
“And you know this how?”
“I called them.”
Silence.
“You called?”
“Yes. Apparently phones work on the thirty-eighth floor too.”
Someone coughed to hide a laugh.
Damian lowered his gaze, concealing his own.
Marcus looked furious.
“Mr. Vale, perhaps your new consultant doesn’t understand corporate reporting.”
Lily turned to Damian.
“Maybe your corporate reporting doesn’t understand counting.”
After the meeting, Damian followed her into the hallway.
“You enjoyed that.”
“A little.”
“You realize Marcus has worked here fourteen years?”
“Then he’s had fourteen years to learn subtraction.”
Damian laughed.
Employees turned.
Lily noticed.
“Why does everybody react like they saw Bigfoot whenever you laugh?”
“I cultivated a reputation.”
“Try cultivating a personality.”
Over the next two weeks, Lily discovered something Damian had missed.
Money was disappearing from the community division.
Not much compared with Vale International’s billions.
But consistently.
Invoices were inflated.
Delivery routes were duplicated.
Vendors existed only on paper.
When Lily showed Damian, his humor vanished.
“These vendor codes.”
“What?”
“They’re the same coding system used by the old organization.”
Lily sat straighter.
“So someone is washing money through charity shipments?”
“Yes.”
“Marcus?”
“Possibly.”
“Or somebody wants us to think Marcus.”
Damian studied her.
“You’re getting disturbingly good at this.”
“I watch crime shows.”
“That is not reassuring.”
Their relationship changed quietly.
Damian started bringing her coffee without asking.
Lily started keeping aspirin in her desk because he forgot to eat.
He drove her home sometimes.
She mocked his music.
He mocked her car after it was repaired.
One Friday evening, they were alone in the office.
Lily looked up.
“You’re staring.”
“I’m thinking.”
“Dangerous hobby.”
He approached.
“What do you want from life?”
The question surprised her.
“A dishwasher.”
Damian frowned.
“A dishwasher?”
“I hate washing plates.”
“I meant something larger.”
“I know.”
She smiled.
“I used to want to become a social worker. Dad got sick. I dropped out. Then medical bills happened.”
“Go back.”
“With what money?”
“I’ll pay.”
“No.”
“Of course.”
She laughed.
“You’re learning.”
He leaned against her desk.
“What if Vale International has tuition assistance?”
“That’s different.”
“Why?”
“I’d earn it.”
Damian shook his head.
“You’re exhausting.”
“You like me.”
The words slipped out.
Silence.
Lily’s smile disappeared.
Damian looked at her differently.
“Yes.”
Her breath caught.
“How much?”
He stepped closer.
“Enough that it has become a problem.”
Lily’s heartbeat changed.
“Sounds serious.”
“It is.”
He lifted a hand but stopped before touching her face.
“Tell me to stop.”
She should have.
Instead, Lily whispered, “You haven’t started.”
Damian kissed her.
It was surprisingly gentle.
No power.
No command.
Just a man who seemed almost afraid she might disappear.
Then the office door opened.
Marcus Bell stood there.
He froze.
“So sorry.”
Lily stepped away.
Marcus placed a folder on the table.
“Damian, this arrived downstairs.”
No return address.
Damian opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
Julian Vale.
Alive.
Damian’s face lost all color.
Lily looked from the picture to him.
“What?”
“That photograph was taken after Julian supposedly died.”
Marcus whispered, “That’s impossible.”
Damian flipped it over.
A message had been written on the back.
ASK YOUR FATHER’S ACCOUNTANT WHO PAID FOR THE FUNERAL.
Damian grabbed his coat.
Lily followed.
“Where are we going?”
“No.”
“No what?”
“You’re staying here.”
“You kissed me thirty seconds ago and suddenly you think that gives you authority?”
“This is dangerous.”
“It was dangerous before you kissed me.”
“Lily.”
“Who was the accountant?”
Damian stopped.
His eyes were cold.
“Raymond Harper.”
Lily froze.
“My father’s name was Raymond Harper.”
Damian said nothing.
The hallway seemed to tilt.
“My father was an accountant.”
“I know.”
Her face went pale.
“You knew?”
“I discovered it yesterday.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“I needed to verify—”
“You knew my father worked for your family?”
“Yes.”
Lily stepped backward.
The betrayal hit harder because minutes earlier she had trusted him enough to kiss him.
“What else haven’t you told me?”
“Lily—”
“What else?”
Damian’s silence answered.
She turned away.
“Don’t follow me.”
“Your father may be connected to Julian’s death.”
Lily stopped.
Slowly turned.
May you like
Damian held up the photograph.
“Or,” he said, “he may be the reason my brother survived.”
