46. Chapter 45
T roy
Troy sat in his office, staring blankly at his computer screen, his fingers drumming against the desk.
He had handled Maggie. Now, it was time for Lila.
And this was going to be much worse. He had suspected manipulation, and deceit, but what he had uncovered went far beyond office politics.
If he did not handle things carefully, he was looking at a lawsuit.
His phone buzzed. HR had compiled everything he needed-emails, financial records, and the buried criminal charge.
Lila had used her company expenses card to pay a reporter.
And by company policy, all communications through corporate emails were accessible.
The damning trail of correspondence had started with Maggie, who had known the journalist, but it was Lila who had taken control of the narrative.
Maggie had volunteered her personal emails, but Lila.
.. Lila had thought she was untouchable.
Troy pressed the intercom. "Send Lila in."
A moment later, Lila strode in, her confidence radiating like the sun.
She was always composed, always in control.
Troy knew she assumed she could talk her way out of anything.
That assumption was about to shatter. Susanna Davies from HR was already seated in the room, ensuring that everything was done by the book.
"Sit down," Troy said coolly.
She did, crossing one leg over the other, her smile faint. "I assume this is about the ridiculous noise HR has been making. "
Troy leaned back, regarding her with cold amusement.
"Oh, it's not noise, Lila. It's evidence.
Evidence that you funnelled company funds to pay a journalist. You paid him ten thousand pounds, Lila.
Evidence that you failed to declare a DUI conviction from Australia.
Evidence that, frankly, puts you in a very awkward position legally. "
Lila's composure flickered. "How-?"
The door opened, and Mack stepped inside. That was the moment Troy saw it-the realization in Lila's eyes. She knew.
"You," she hissed at Mack, rising to her feet, her composure crumbling into something feral. "You told them!"
Mack remained impassive. "I did what needed to be done. You are out of control. This needs to stop."
She was seething now, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "How dare you-"
"Sit down," Troy interrupted, voice sharp. "This isn't a negotiation, Lila. You've crossed the line, and you know it."
Lila turned back to him, her eyes bright with rage and something else-desperation. "I did it for you, Troy. I have always loved you. And don't you dare deny that you've shown, in every way possible, that you prefer me over Jenna. Ever since I started here two years ago!"
Troy exhaled, shaking his head. "Lila, you were never an option. Not once. And the fact that you thought this... desperate attempt at 'winning' me over would work? It's laughable. You thought you were in control, but you were nothing more than a spectacle."
Susanna cleared her throat. "Lila, you not only manipulated business dealings, but you also deliberately spread misleading information to the press.
That newspaper article you helped manufacture didn't just damage reputations-it irreparably impacted Troy's marriage.
The fallout from your actions is severe. "
Troy's jaw tightened as he leaned forward. "Do you have any idea what you did? What that article did to Jenna and me? The lies, the insinuations, the well-placed barbs? It drove a wedge between us that you knew exactly how to exploit."
Lila smirked, though her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "Jenna trapped you, Troy. She got pregnant on purpose because she knew it was the only way to keep you tied to her. You are pathetic, running after a cheap whore like her."
Troy shot up from his chair, fists clenched at his sides, his face thunderous.
"You think that was a trap? That was the best thing that ever happened to me. I get down on my knees and thank God every day that she did. And even if Jenna wins the divorce, I will keep after her until she changes her mind and takes me back. Your plans will not succeed.”
" "Oh, Troy, you give me too much credit. Do you think I destroyed your marriage? No, darling. You did that all on your own."
Troy went still. The anger, the rage, the exhaustion-they all collided in a single moment of realization. And he knew she was right.
His voice, when he finally spoke, was hoarse. "I'm going to fix it. No matter what it takes."
Lila's lips twisted into something like a smirk, but there was no real triumph in it. "Good luck with that."
The door opened, and two security guards stepped in. Susanna stood as well, gathering the files. Lila swallowed, her shoulders trembling.
"Security will escort you out after you meet with HR," Troy said clinically. "Consider this the last time we will ever speak. And I don't care who you are, I will personally ensure you never work in this industry again"
Her gaze darted to Mack, pleading now. "Mack, please-"
"No," Mack said firmly.
Her expression twisted. "Mom and Dad won't be happy about this," she spat. "Neither will Margaret."
Troy's expression didn't shift. "Mom only has ever loved Mom. The rest of us are just chess pieces on the board. You're not special, Lila. And as for your parents-your problems are your own."
The security guards stepped forward, and for the first time, Lila had nothing to say.