Grant snapped his gaze to the man, his eyes wide. “That puts–”
“Lydia at fifty percent,” Mike said with a nod.
Grant slid his eyes closed as he shook his head. It was over.
Mike clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Anything could happen in there.”
He tried to offer the man a smile, to hold on to that shred of hope, but he had none. His nineteen percent wouldn’t make any difference. It was time to face the music.
With a deep breath, he swung the doors open and stepped into the room. A quiet hush buzzed through the room. His eyes fell on Lydia who rose, the smirk on her face unmistakable.
“Well, Grant, it looks like your time has finally come to a close. And mine is just about to begin.”
“You haven’t won yet, Lydia,” he answered, trying to force some solidness into his hollow voice.
Lydia’s cackle unnerved him, but he worked not to show it. “Oh, even you don’t believe that. I’m about to rip this company away from you. And I’m going to take great pleasure in dismantling it.”
The words sliced him like a knife. Mostly because he knew they were true. This was the end for Harrington Global. And there was nothing he could do to stop it.
CHAPTER 4
JULIA
Julia heaved a sigh as Grant strode from the room. The news from Harrington Global wasn’t good. And the emergency summons to the office spoke volumes. She could see the tension in every line of his face.
She glanced at her phone, wondering if there was any update from Alex. She found nothing waiting for her.
Sierra’s babbling next to her drew her attention away. “Yes, that’s what I said! Are you deaf?”
Kyle frowned at his sister who paced the floor in front of him. “I really want to go home. But I’m kind of terrified of Sierra.”
Julia slid her hand into his and squeezed. “I will be glad when you’re out of here. I really hate that Lydia just walked right in here.”
“Me too,” he answered, staring into space.
“Hey,” she said, tilting her head to catch his attention. “You know nothing Lydia said to you on that last phone call is true, right?”
“I don’t need to be handled like Sierra, Julia,” he said as he avoided her gaze.
“Really?” she asked.
He finally shifted his gaze to her and nodded. “Yep. I’m not…needy like Sierra.”
“It’s not being needy, Kyle. She said some really horrible things in true Lydia form, and I need you to know that none of that was true. None of us were moving on without you.”
“Not even Dad?”
“Not even Grant. You heard him…he…was really very upset when he found out what had happened.”
Kyle chewed his lower lip before he flicked a sideways glance at Julia. “While we’re speaking truths here, you know I’d never just leave, right?”
“I know. Which is why I kept insisting something had happened to you.”
“Insisting? Because no one was listening?” Kyle asked.
“Don’t,” she warned.
“No, I want to know. Because I suspectsomeof what Lydia said was true.”
