As I shake his hand, there is a tentative knock on the door.
“Come in.”
A heartbeat later, the door opens slightly.
Charlotte Evans steps inside. As soon as she enters, my hackles rise. It’s the glint in her eye, the knowing gleam. There’s a strut in her hips as she approaches the desk, confidence oozing from every pore.
She’s in a short plaid skirt and a similar blouse that my sister would call fashionable but sexy. I find it inappropriate workplace wear.
Her eyes flick between Jake and me, lingering a moment too long.
I motion to the chair across from my desk. “Have a seat.”
She sits down, crossing her legs, showing off the smooth skin. My eyes flick back to the smug look on her face, making my jaw twitch.
“Do you know why you’re here, Charlotte?” I ask, my tone controlled.
“No, Mr. Wilder.” She gives me an innocent look, one I’ve seen far too many times. “I thought this was meant to be a private conversation.”
“It is. This is Jake Wilder, the company’s lawyer.” I clasp my hands on the desk. “You were in the third-floor restroom today. Just after lunch.”
She blinks, taken aback. “I—yes. Maybe. I’m not sure?—”
“You overheard a private conversation between Natalie Thorne and your department head.”
Her jaw tightens. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Charlotte.” I let her name hang in the air, sharp as glass. “Let’s not waste each other’s time.”
Jake remains silent beside me, arms crossed, gaze unreadable.
She is beginning to look uneasy now. “I swear, I didn’t?—”
I lean forward. Slowly. “Lying to me is a very bad idea.”
Her breath catches. “I didn’t repeat anything. I didn’t tell anyone.”
“I didn’t ask if you told anyone. I said you overheard something not meant for you.”
Her mouth opens, then closes. “I don’t remember, really. I was just?—”
I tap my finger on the desk. Once. Deliberate. “You can go.”
She freezes. “I... can go?”
I nod. “But understand this, Charlotte. If one whisper—one—makes its way through this company or beyond, I will know exactly where it came from. I will not tolerate anyone upsetting my fiancée.”
Her eyes widen. “F-Fiancée? You and Natalie?—”
“I won’t repeat myself. One word, and that is all it will take.”
She swallows hard, eyes darting toward Jake, all the confidence fading from her. She clearly came here expecting something else entirely.
“I will not just have you fired,” I continue, voice icy and low. “I will make sure you never work in this city again. Not marketing. Not advertising. Not even a freelance gig running a client’s Instagram page. Do you understand?”
She nods frantically, hands clenched in her lap, knuckles white with tension.
“But that’s not the part you should be afraid of.”
