CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 21

Cynthia

I stare at Adam, shock rendering me mute.

His expression is impassive as he meets my gaze.

These last four years have been good to him. He looks more handsome. But his eyes, they’re colder than I remember. There’s a ruthless edge to them that I don’t recall seeing before. His scent is familiar and tantalizing, and without warning, my body tightens in a vicious need.

That has me falling back to reality, and I try to jerk away from him. But his hold on me is tight.

He suddenly lowers his head, burying his face in my neck, and I hear him inhale.

My body goes limp against him as he smells me. After all this time, his touch still holds addiction for me. His hand holding my wrist is firm, and yet he’s not hurting me.

Then his voice sounds against my ear. "Your scent has changed."

The hypnotic effect he has on me immediately vanishes as the meaning behind his words hits me like a truck. My scent has changed because I gave birth to Riya. Riya, his daughter. The one he doesn’t know exists.

This time when I pull away from him, he lets me.

"What’re you doing here in Detroit?" I snap.

"I’m here on business," Adam murmurs. "Now, is it my turn to ask you what you’re doing here?"

"I work here," I respond tightly.

"Interesting." Adam’s lips curve in a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. "So once again, you work for me then."

"Excuse me?" I give him a wary look.

"I’m the new CEO of this company." Adam holds my gaze and my jaw tenses.

"You’re lying." My stomach drops, fear filling me now.

"I have no reason to lie." Adam looks coldly amused, and his confidence strikes terror within me.

I can’t have him around me. I can’t let him find out about Riya. He’ll take her from me!

The way he’s looking at me is cold. Right now, he reminds me of Jonathon, and I want to run. I want to get as far away from him as possible. But this isn’t the time to act foolishly. This man has the ability to harm me and destroy everything in my life. Even as my wolf wants to get closer to him, I take a step back.

"That’s unfortunate," I say, my voice steady.

Turning on my heel, I begin walking away, only for Adam to call out, "Running away again? You’re pretty good at that."

Despite my warnings to myself to keep a cool head, my hands ball into fists by my side.

Don’t react. Don’t react.

I take another step, and he continues, "What exactly were you doing here at this time of night?"

"None of your business."

I keep walking, and he follows me. "Since you now work for me, it happens to be my business."

I whirl around to face him, my eyes flashing. "If you must know, one of my managers has it out for me and he messed up my computer. But where I go isn’t going to be your business soon enough. Working for you once has been enough for a lifetime. Expect my resignation on your desk in the morning."

He goes still, and this time when I turn around and leave, he doesn’t stop me.

As soon as I’m out of the building, I make a break toward my car. I can’t start the engine fast enough, desperate to get out of here and back to where my baby is. I drive like a madman, my hands clenched around the steering wheel, nails digging into the soft protective rubber.

Why is he here?

Why didn’t he look surprised to see me?

Has he been looking for me this whole time?

These questions are raging inside me, and I can’t come up with a single answer that would make sense. I can’t imagine he could have been looking for me for four years, but then why wasn’t he surprised to see me here? He never asked where I went or why I left. I want to be glad that he didn’t, but it bothers me.

I can’t stay at this job.

I don’t even know if I can stay in this city.

Now that he knows where I am, it’s only a matter of time until he finds out about Riya. I may be financially comfortable, but Adam is more resourceful than I am. What if he decides to snatch Riya from me?

My lower lip trembles and my eyes harden.

I can’t let that happen.

I have to hide her.

I have to leave.

I have savings. Since I never had to pay rent and my salary has been really good, I’ve been able to form a sizeable nest egg. I could pack up and leave tomorrow. As I reach my apartment, I’ve already worked out how many boxes I will need and what I will be taking with me and what will be going into storage. Riya and I can go on a trip while I apply for jobs. Wherever I find one, I’ll set roots down there.

Tony is waiting for me, and one sniff has his face turning pale.

"You saw Adam."

It’s not a question.

"He’s my new CEO." I toss my coat on the table as I go to check on Riya. My body is moving on autopilot because my brain is working in overdrive. I have to come up with a solid plan. The man I met tonight was not the Adam I remember. Or perhaps, this was who Adam had been all along. This cold-eyed man with a ruthless edge to him.

Riya is sleeping, and I stroke her hair, my heart shaking.

I take in her scent and feel comforted by it.

Stepping out of the room, I close the door behind me quietly, and motion towards the living room. Tony follows me.

"Has he become the alpha?" I ask abruptly.

"Yes."

"When?"

"A year ago. Jonathon put up some roadblocks for him and was trying to come up with a way to discredit the evidence against Norman. When that didn’t go his way, he extended his hold on the alpha position. The officials sided with him until Adam began to take them down, one by one. There were cases of embezzlement, fraud, stealing, and similar things. Most of the officials had been in Jonathon’s pocket, so Adam outed them."

"So, all this time, he’s been busy," I mutter. "Too busy to look for me. But now that he’s become the alpha, he suddenly pops up here." I look at Tony. "I can’t stay. Riya and I will leave tomorrow."

His eyes widen. "What?"

"I can’t risk Adam finding out about Riya, Tony!" I burst out. "He can take her from me. I don’t want my daughter exposed to the Moore family at any cost. Once Adam knows about her, it’s only a matter of time before Jonathon and Norman will as well. I can’t take that risk."

"You need to calm down." Tony puts his hands on my shoulders and guides me over to the couch. "You have a job here, a home you’ve built. You can’t just run like this."

"So what?" I stare at him. "You want me to wait around and see what happens? Because that sounds like a horrible plan. And I already told him that I’m going to resign."

"What did he say?"

"Nothing. But Tony, he wasn’t surprised to see me. This tells me that he expected to run into me here. He’s been looking for me. I’m telling you, he has!"

I bury my head in my hands. "I can’t let him take Riya away from me. She’s mine!"

"Nothing will happen to Riya," Tony tries to assure me. "If you’re worried, she can stay with me while you’re at work. You don’t have to send her to preschool for a couple of days. And if he’s found you once, he can find you again. You can’t keep running for the rest of your life. Legally, Riya is your daughter. And since you left Seattle, you walked away from the pack. He can’t force you to return, and he can’t take Riya so easily either. If you want to switch jobs, I’ll help you look for another one, but going on the run is not the ideal solution. You need to know why Adam is actually here before you make such a hasty decision."

"And what if he finds out about Riya?" I demand.

"Taking her from you isn’t going to be as easy as you imagine," Tony says. "And Maya and I will be watching out for her. Before, it was just you, Cynthia. Now, you have a daughter to worry about. You can’t let your fear uproot her life. If it was just once, I would understand, but I don’t think it’s healthy for either of you if you spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder and running. It will impact Riya in a negative way."

I go still at his words. He has a point.

"Alright," I rub my hands over my face, "but I’ll have to change jobs."

"Of course. For now, rest. The world is not going to end even if Adam finds out about your daughter. You are stronger than before, and you have more people in your corner. Don’t forget that."

He wraps me in a bear hug, comforting me before he leaves. I make sure the doors are locked before I pour myself a glass of wine and slump on the couch. I don’t know what the future holds, but Tony has a point. I can’t drag Riya from place to place to avoid Adam. But if I change jobs, then our interactions will be minimized. And aside from Riya, he has no hold over me.

I spend the rest of my night updating my resume and writing my resignation letter.

Four years at this company, and this is how I have to leave.

It upsets me, but I don’t have a choice.

****

The next morning, I decide to show up late, deliberately missing Kofo’s calls. I make Riya breakfast and spend time with her, watching cartoons together for at least an hour before I get her ready and drop her off at Tony and Maya’s place. Resignation letter in my bag, I reach my office and head inside.

There is an underlying tension in the air, and wherever I look, people seem to be agitated. When I see a police officer exit the elevator, I raise a brow. What is that about?

I make my way to my office, and Kofo jumps to his feet when he sees me, looking terrified.

"I’ve been calling you all morning," he bemoans. "Where have you been?"

I don’t answer him, instead looking at my office from the doorway. "Where’s my computer? And why are my things a mess?"

"If you had picked up your phone, I would have told you." Kofo looks miserable. "Apparently someone snuck inside and planted viruses onto your computer!"

I glance at him. "I know. I was here."

"What?" Kofo looks blankly at me. "If you were here, why didn’t you stop him?"

I tell him about the events of last time, leaving out the interaction with Adam.

"I saw the missed calls." Kofo looks upset. "I wasn’t feeling well, so I took a pain pill and was knocked out like a light."

"It’s okay." I set my bag down on his desk, looking inside at the mess. "I called the IT people, but nobody answered. Figured I’d deal with this in the morning. So, what happened?"

"When I came in," Kofo tells me, "the police were already here. I heard the CEO was in early this morning, and he was looking through the security footage and saw Gregory come in really late and go into your office. Gregory’s been called to his office, just five minutes ago. They’ve made a police case of this."

I go still. "What? A police case? He thinks Gregory put the virus on the computer?"

"Why else would he sneak into the office so late?" Kofo scowls. "It’s a good thing I back up your computer every time you leave."

"You do?" I give him a surprised look. "I didn’t know that."

He gives me a sheepish look. "I thought it would be better than losing files again like we did a few months ago when your system crashed. Everything is now copied to a cloud server. I wanted to tell the CEO that but thought it would be better if you did. He’s been calling every ten minutes and asking if you’ve come in yet."

I bet he has.

"Have you met him?" I look at Kofo, who shakes his head. "I saw a glimpse of him when I went to drop off some files for our current projects. He looked very strict and imposing. But it’s just eleven in the morning and at least five people are out of a job."

"If I’m lucky, I’ll be number six," I mutter.

"This is not the time for jokes." Kofo’s thick accent comes out as he gives me an alarmed look. "The Director of IT was fired. I heard he was called into the office at six in the morning and given his walking papers."

"Luther?" I look surprised. "Why?"

"I don’t know. He’s looking at the senior management." Kofo is trembling now.

"You should be fine, Kofo," I reassure him. "You’re not senior management."

"I’m worried for you!"

"Don’t be," I say lightly. "I’m not."

Just then, a man approaches us. "Director Rose?"

I go still. "I’m Director Morrighan."

My heart is beating loudly, and this man, his scent is not like Kofo’s. He’s a wolf shifter.

His expression is impassive. "Cynthia Rose."

My lips tighten. This is clearly Adam playing mind games with me.

I give him a cold smile. "My name is Cynthia Morrighan. I’m afraid you’re looking for somebody else. Go to IT and get me a temporary laptop, Kofo. I need to get to work."

As Kofo walks away, the man remains standing. "The alpha would like to see you."

I give him a smile. "I don’t know what you’re talking about. Now, please go and look for whomever it is you’re looking for and stop wasting my time."

He gives me a long look before turning on his heel and leaving. I get to fixing up my office, my blood pounding in my ears. Adam probably did not anticipate that in these four years, I would grow a shiny steel spine. If he’s here to make my life hell, he’s going to face a hell of a battle. I will protect my daughter and the life I’ve built here. I don’t mind leaving this company if it means protecting myself. I’ve spent years bowing and groveling before his bastard of a father. I’ll be damned if I do the same in front of his son!

Kofo returns with a laptop, and as he does, so does Adam’s little henchman. He clears his throat. "Mr. Moore is calling you to his office, Director Morrighan."

I hand over my laptop to Kofo. "Download the files for the launch product. I haven’t gone over all the designs yet."

He nods, looking like he’s a second away from weeping.

"Let’s go, Roger." I look at the man.

"My name’s Stiles Weddler," he says stiffly. "I’m the CEO’s assistant."

"Then perhaps next time start off with introducing yourself instead of barking orders," I say scathingly.

He flinches.

Whatever power trip Stiles is on is not my business. But I have no problem burning any and all bridges right now. I’m already planning to resign, so I don’t really care who I offend. And I don’t really like Stiles. He’s too arrogant.

I have to mentally prepare myself to face Adam again and when Stiles knocks on the door, Adam’s voice reaches my ears, "Come in."

His voice still has an impact on me.

My wolf rumbles happily, and I want to smack it. Traitorous creature!

I walk in, and the first thing I see is Gregory standing in front of the desk, his face pale. Adam is sitting, his gray eyes meeting mine.

"So gracious of you to finally make an appearance, Cynthia," he drawls.

"Am I also expected to stand?" I raise a brow.

For a moment, I think I see the corner of his lips twitch. But when I blink, he has that impassive expression on his face. "Would you like a seat?"

I make myself comfortable in the visitor’s chair while Gregory gapes at me.

"You called?" I finally ask, my voice blunt.

"I called you twice. You sent my assistant back the first time."

"He insisted on what he thought my name should be. Your assistant is quite incompetent," I say coolly.

Adam doesn’t flinch or show so much as a flicker of anger. "Would you like to take his job?"

"I’d rather stab myself with a spoon," I mutter under my breath. Loudly, I say, "Sorry. I’m not interested in being your lackey."

Gregory makes a strangled sound now, and Adam studies me.

I expect him to lose his temper or get angry, but instead, he simply says, "Pity."

Instead of saying anything to me, he opens the file in front of him and begins reading the contents. I stare at him for a few minutes, but when he doesn’t speak or look up, I recognize the tactic for what it is. Intimidation. He wants me to speak first.

Sighing, I cross my legs and my arms and just divert my attention to my surroundings. The CEO’s office here is smaller than what Adam is accustomed to. It’s a simple room with a bathroom attached, a coat hanger next to the door, a L-shaped couch, a coffee table on one end, and his desk in the center of the room. I can feel my resignation letter burning a hole in my jacket, and while I would like nothing more than to throw it at his face, I have to approach this entire situation with caution.

Gregory is growing paler by the second, and his legs seem to be trembling. However, I have no pity for him. He just tried to screw me out of a job. Albeit, one I don’t want anymore, it was still a shitty move.

I discreetly glance at my watch and notice twenty minutes have passed.

I wonder how long Adam is going to draw this out.

He presses the intercom suddenly. "Stiles, come inside."

Stiles walks in, and I see the way his brows furrow when he sees me sitting so casually. He clearly doesn’t like it.

"Sir?"

"Take this to the legal department. We will be suing Mr. Black for the losses incurred because of him."

Gregory nearly stumbles. "I just went in to collect some files. I told you! And she also went inside. How do you know she didn’t install the viruses?"

"Mr. Black," Adam turns his head to look at him, his voice cold, "I was there when Miss Rose––"

"Director Morrighan," I cut him off, my eyes flashing.

He gives me a long look before turning his attention back to Gregory, "when the director was there. And when you left her office, you had nothing in your hands. Also, the video surveillance shows you picking the door lock. Are you going to suggest that the director instructed you to do that as well?"

Gregory swallows, and I want to smile, but I’m not in a very happy mood right now.

"It goes without saying that you no longer have a place here, but once the extent of the damage is uncovered, you will be facing a hefty lawsuit. I hope you are prepared for that. Stiles, escort Mr. Black out."

I feel a hint of pity for Gregory despite everything, and I mutter, "All the files are backed up. We didn’t lose anything."

His head shoots up, and I see the tears in his eyes as well as the relief.

"Doesn’t change anything," Adam responds.

Stiles takes the shaking Gregory out the door, and once the door closes behind him, Adam leans back in his chair, studying me. "I guess we should talk."