Fifty-One: Pierce

FIFTY-ONE

PIERCE

A ttending a charity party with the rich was the last thing I wanted to do, but the quicker I returned to things I did pre-Harlow, the faster I could get over her.

Tonight’s misguided cause was ‘Kids Who Need Shoestrings,’ but I donated a million pairs of shoes first before telling the host his idea made no sense.

I also refused to attend unless they agreed to move it to my team’s arena, so I was not-so-anxiously waiting around with my staff in the office wing.

Hopefully, they’ll play some decent music.

“A courier just delivered an urgent package for you.” Denise approached me, holding out a small white envelope, but I didn’t take it.

“Is Mr. Dawson going to be like this for the entire party?” someone asked her. “He hasn’t said a word all night.”

“The party hasn’t started yet, so I’ll make sure he perks up,” she said. “Keep everyone away from him until it’s time to head to the court.”

“I have a drug connect if we need to shoot him up with some cocaine.” “I know someone who can get us some speed.” “Oh, yeah, speed . Much better.”

“I’ll keep those suggestions in mind.” Denise rolled her eyes and waited for the guys to move.

“You have an urgent package, Pierce,” she said. “It might be something we need to know before the party starts.”

I said nothing.

“Since you’re so excited—” She ripped it open. “—I’ll open it for you. Okay, it’s a letter. Want me to read it?”

“I don’t care.”

Dear Mr. Dawson,

Thank you for taking the time to hire me as your nanny.

I also appreciate the storefront you loaned me, but just as you made it clear that you want nothing to do with me anymore, I want nothing to do with you.

I realize the damage my lie caused you and your family, and I need to work on my character integrity.

Wishing You and Your Kids Well,

Harlow

Your kids? I sat up. Harlow typically wrote out their names whenever she sent me a message.

“Are you sure you read that right?” I asked.

“Verbatim.” She held it toward me. “You can read it yourself, if you like.”

“No, that’s okay.”

“Since you’re selling a few other storefronts in your portfolio this month, I can have your realtor put this up for sale as well.”

“Wait. Could you read that note aloud again?” I asked. “A bit slower this time.”

“Sure.” She cleared her throat, and I focused on every word.

I never said that building was a loan. It was a gift.

I was tempted to call her and ask what the hell she was talking about.

Even though I was still pissed at what she’d done, she had to know that I would never want or expect her to give it back.

Those words and the line “I want nothing to do with you,” didn’t seem like something she would write either.

She was convinced her lie wasn’t a big deal.

“Given the fraud that she was, I think it was rather generous of you to buy that for her,” Denise said. “It’s a testament to how much you care about your employees.”

“I guess.” I sipped my water.

“Maybe she’ll finally learn what character integrity means wherever she ends up next, you know?”

“Right. Well, in the meantime—” I stopped. “What did you say about character integrity?”

“That maybe Harlow will learn what that means.” She pressed a hand against my forehead. “I think you need to take some more time off. You look sick.”

“No,” I said. “I need everyone to leave the room.”

“Sir, the charity group is on their way up here.”

“ Now .”

Everyone rushed for the exit without another word.

“Not you, Denise,” I said. “Stay behind.”

I walked over to the windows, waiting until we were alone.

“What’s going on?” she asked. “You’re acting strange.”

“How did you find out Harlow wasn’t a real nanny?”

“Huh?”

“You heard me,” I said. “How’d you find that out?”

“Pierce, you’re speaking another language. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Mrs. Wharton said she received a note that mentioned ‘character integrity’ and ‘due diligence’ when you sent over my donation,” I said. “I was wondering why any organization would ever question getting a million-dollar gift from a billionaire. Unless they thought it was some type of test, or that I would ask for it back if I knew Harlow wasn’t a real nanny.”

“You’re talking in circles, Pierce.”

“Okay, I’ll lay it out in a straight line, then,” I said. “You didn’t like Harlow because I was falling in love with her, and you thought she was in the way. So, you decided to ruin that any way you could, didn’t you?”

Her face paled by the second, and she was speechless for the first time since I’d known her.

“As much as I appreciate your concern for my personal life, I don’t understand what you gained from that,” I said. “I also can’t help but think that your actions were about something else.”

“Something else like what?”

“You tell me, Denise.” I glared at her. “Why would you want to hurt me?”

“I wasn’t hurting you by revealing that she was a fucking fraud.” She crossed her arms. “That’s all there is to it, and if anyone found out about it, it would make one hell of a scandal.”

“A scandal for the agency maybe,” I said. “Not really for me.”

“Every headline would read, ‘ Nanny Agency Used by Billionaire Jets Owner ’ before whatever came next, and you know it.”

“Again, that would be a problem for the agency , not me.”

“I wanted to do what was best for your children.”

“My children hardly know you.” I hissed. “I can count the number of times you’ve come to see them on one hand.”

Silence.

“Why wouldn’t you just tell me?” I stared at her. “Why go through the trouble of humiliating her?”

“Because she doesn’t deserve you,” she said, tears falling down her face. “She’s a skank playing the long game and trying to weasel her way into your life until you get too attached to let her go.”

“So, this is jealousy ?”

“Please.” She shook her head. “She has nothing I want in this life.”

“Except me.”

“You still have feelings for her?” She swallowed. “You told me you were done with her.”

“Did she return the bakery keys, or did you play games to get her to?”

“The latter…”

“Thank you for your honesty.” I walked to the door. Then I looked over my shoulder. “I’ll write up one hell of a fluffy statement about your immediate resignation, and I’ll extend the same generosity by giving you a personal reference at whatever place you choose to work next, but I never want to fucking see or hear from you again.”

“You’re ending our friendship over this?”

“No, Denise. You did.”