Chapter 12

Wes

“ This is a terrible idea. We should’ve just left her and her headaches in the idle threats to ignore file, ” Evie bitterly snips underneath her breath from the seat to my left. “ I do not condone this course of action. ”

“ I don’t either, ” Pham hisses from the chair beside her. “ And neither does legal. ”

“Noted,” I casually announce while tightening the black tie that’s resting on top of my black dress shirt.

“ Did you have to wear black on black like we’re attending a supervillain’s funeral? ” chastises my personal publicist in her continued hushed volume. “ You couldn’t have picked a lighter color shirt with a power tie like J.T.? ” She shoots him a small air kiss. “ You look like perfection. ”

Like the kiss ass head of the class he is, he sits a little taller in the cushiony conference room chair.

I don’t need her praise.

Just like I don’t technically need her approval or her presence.

It’s my name on the company.

Therefore, it’s my decision.

And my decision to engage in a civilized sit-down with Monica Simmons is one they’ll all be grateful for later.

After all, it was this or fucking buy the magazine she works for to fire her as well as everyone else that works there.

This is more cost efficient.

All of a sudden, the conference room doors are opened by Zaidee who then gestures her warm sienna skinned hand inward. “Mr. Wilcox and his team have been expecting you.”

The pain in my ass that has made it her personal mission to print personal information – that unfortunately aren’t lies – barely flashes my assistant a grin of gratitude.

That’s the real reason why I can’t let this go.

I need to know her source.

I need to know who has broken their NDA.

I need to know who is busy betraying me and my family for a measly payday before my son or daughter is born.

I want them safe.

Protected.

Guarded long before they’ve even taken their first breath.

Which isn’t possible until I know who needs to be removed and from where.

Who can’t be trusted.

And despite Park’s thorough searching, he can’t find any suspicious activity to make such a connection.

Hence the decision to take a more direct approach.

“Ms. Simmons,” I professionally greet. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me and my team.”

Her overly bronzed face doesn’t bother fighting the thrill running through her system. “My editor didn’t exactly present me with a choice , Mr. Wilcox.” She lets her brown gaze glide around the room. “Although, I must admit. I do feel rather outnumbered.”

“I have asked my publicists as well as one of our company’s higher ups to be in attendance.”

“J.T.” He stands and politely extends an open palm at her approaching frame. “J.T. Reese.”

“I’m aware of who you are, Mr. Reese.” She less than kindly shakes. “I’m also aware of your long-standing relationship and dedication to the Wilcox family, including how they took you in like a second son when your own mother could no longer care for you.”

My best friend is instantly taken back. “H-h-how did you-”

“ I’m a journalist, Mr. Reese. ” A vicious smile slips onto her face during her descent into the closest chair. “ I do my research. ”

Clearly uncomfortable, he tugs at his collar.

Clears his throat.

Sits down and shoots me a cautious glance.

And here’s another reason to put a stop to her nonsense.

She’s not only upsetting my pregnant fiancée but my best man too.

“Ms. Simmons,” I casually proceed on a folding of my hands, “I have brought you here today because I want information that you have.”

Boredom is the only expression she presents.

“ You have a ‘source’ that’s handfeeding you information that has no business being in the general public.”

“Then you shouldn’t be a public figure,” she swiftly snaps back.

“ That wasn’t my choice as you might recall.” The darkening of my tone can’t be helped. “ You were the one who ran the exclusive. Who posted my photo. Who invaded my privacy without permission.”

“ Actually ,” the snark in her voice is unmistakable, “I didn’t invade anything. You unfortunately had an information leak, which given the things I’m still capable of printing without a need for retraction, you still have.”

It takes otherworldly strength to maintain my calm disposition. “I want the name of your source.”

“No.”

“They are in legal violation by leaking that information to you.”

“Only if they’ve spoken directly about conversations or incidents, they’ve had with you or your fiancée or a member of your team. There is no line in this person’s contract that says they can’t discuss things they’ve witnessed or found or are simply speculating about.” She victoriously smiles prematurely. “There’s also no violation in them informing me of the other people who may have spoken to one of you and following those leads.” An amused hand spin is executed. “ Aka journalism. ”

Unhappy rumbles rattle my frame as I tighten my grasp. “I want the name of your source, Ms. Simmons and I’m willing to negotiate the information for a respectable price.”

“Why am I not surprised another Wilcox is just willing and ready to buy more silence?”

The statement furrows my eyebrows. “ Excuse me? ”

“You have a lot in common with the man you inherited the company from.”

“Careful how you speak of those that came before me, Ms. Simmons.”

“Careful how you threaten me in a conversation I am recording, Mr. Wilcox.” She pulls a tube of lipstick out of her pocket. “Guess security missed one.”

Deeper grumbles reverberate around the room.

“As I mentioned, Mr. Wilcox, I do my research.” The recording device is gingerly placed on the table. “Which doesn’t just include reporting on your fiancée’s desire to get a little Batman tattoo on her hip to honor you or how many times her work partner has had to retie her bikini top while they were surfing between assignments or even how she’ll pretend to work late just to get some space away from you. ”

Rage rolls around the pit of my stomach.

“It includes so many very intriguing details regarding your lineage. Details that I get the sense you know nothing about.” Her red painted lips twist upward again. “Details I am willing to negotiate to you for a respectable price.”

Pham quickly objects, “ Wes- ”

“I know everything there is to know about where I’ve come from.”

“Not everything.” She leans back in her seat at the same time she asks, “Were you aware that your mother, Arabella, was actually married once before your father?”

The new information pinches my brow.

“It’s where her well known Parisian obsession stemmed from.”

Uneasiness momentarily clogs my vocal cords. “That could easily be an unsubstantiated claim.”

“The decoration obsession or the marriage? Because either way ,” Monica twirls her finger around for theatrics, “I can prove it. I can send you a copy of the marriage certificate they had public records erase from existence. And I can do that because Alo?s – despite their divorce and being happy with his partner Lyam for the past twenty years – has a copy of their license and their wedding photo.”

Disbelief drops my jaw into a bobbing nature.

“ See. ” She arrogantly winks. “ You don’t know everything. ”

It’s Evie’s turn to interrupt, “ Wes, I think -”

“However, you can know more ,” she tempts like the wicked adversary she is proving worthy to be. “ For. The. Right. Price. ”

J.T. swiftly interjects, “ Wes , you should- ”

“What else do you have?” I desperately inquire on a lean forward. “What else do you know?”

“It’s less of a question of what…and more of a question of who ,” Monica obnoxiously goads. “And I will give you that as well as all of my research involving it in exchange for a measly television interview one month from now.”

Both publicists rush to speak only to be hushed by a lifted hand. “One interview?”

“One interview in which you publicly acknowledge the information, openly discuss your family’s coverup, take a test to further verify information, and generously offer shares of your company as compensation for this longstanding secrecy that has destroyed the life of this young individual.”

“Those are quite the accusations, Ms. Simmons.”

“And it is quite the scandal, Mr. Wilcox.”

“ No ,” my best friend practically barks, summoning my attention. “ Do. Not. Do. This. ”

A small tilt of my head is mindlessly given.

“Whatever it is she thinks she has, whatever it is she’s convincing you she has, is not worth dragging our company’s name through the mud.” The sight of my mouth twitching pushes him to add, “It is not worth tarnishing your family’s legacy.”

“A legacy filled with secrets, and scandals, and lies , ohmy, ” taunts the female at the opposite end of table from me.

“I am advising you against this for the sake of the company ,” Pham manages to proclaim.

“And I am advising you against this for the sake of your brand ,” Evie echoes.

“And legal ,” my second in command reminds.

“Something tells me your father received a similar talk from his advisers or at the very least Clark. ” The particular naming of him regains my full attention. “After all, this is the type of person that even your best friend would help keep hidden.”

J.T. once more wisely tries to intervene, “ Wes, don’t- ”

“I agree to one television interview one month from now. I agree to publicly acknowledge the person and the situation on behalf of my family. I agree to said test for verification purposes. I also agree to financial compensation to the aforementioned individual if your information is proven to be irrefutable and only irrefutable.”

“Wes!” both women hiss in outrage.

“ However, if your information is proven to be inaccurate, this person will receive nothing and you will publicly resign from the field of journalism, permanently. ”

“Wes!” barks my best friend.

“ Do we have an agreement, Ms. Simmons? ”

“ We do, Mr. Wilcox. ”

“Wes!” shouts my entire team.

“It’s on record.” An open palm gestures to her recording device. “And I will have legal draw up paperwork for us both to sign.”

“Perfect . ”

“Now,” I menacingly lean forward, “ who is this individual?”

“ Your. Half. Sister. ”