Chapter Twenty-Five
Liam
I hadn’t been spending much time at my office at the investment firm lately, but that’s where I headed this morning. Part of me wanted to go straight to GalvaTech, to see Morgan, to try and fix what I’d broken last night. But a bigger part of me worried she wouldn’t want to see me at all.
I had no idea where we stood after our conversation. And I was pretty sure it couldn’t have gone worse.
My own bruised feelings had mostly faded overnight, replaced by a different kind of ache. The kind that came from knowing the woman I loved was in pain, and I was part of the reason why.
She’d lashed out at me, defensive and angry. Maybe I shouldn’t have kept the investigation from her, but I knew the real problem wasn’t my secrecy. It was Parker. If I’d accused anyone else of embezzlement, she would have been upset but ultimately understood my position.
But her stepbrother? That was different. That realization cut deep.
She might not have wanted to believe it, but Morgan knew me well enough to know I wouldn’t lie about something like this. Which meant she was probably more torn up about it than she’d let on last night. And soon she’d know for certain I was telling the truth.
I had a meeting scheduled with Samuel that afternoon to tell him everything and show him the reports and proof. I was dreading that conversation almost as much as I’d dreaded telling Morgan.
This whole situation was a nightmare. I’d never gotten so personally invested in a company before. Some people might call that a mistake, but I couldn’t bring myself to regret it. I cared about these people. About the company. About making this work.
That’s why I hated being the one to bring Parker’s crimes to light. But what choice did I have? Let him keep stealing? Watch GalvaTech slowly bleed out from the inside?
What I needed to figure out before the meeting was what came next. The contract Simon and I signed could be broken under certain specific conditions. Embezzlement definitely qualified. We could pull our investment and walk away without any repercussions.
I knew that’s what Simon wanted. He’d said as much in our brief conversation this morning. But he was leaving the final decision to me since I was the one who’d been working closely with GalvaTech these past months.
Breaking the contract was the smart business move.
We’d already invested significant money and now, even more would be needed to achieve our goals if I kept working with the company.
But if we pulled out now, GalvaTech would go bankrupt.
Most of the money had already been spent or embezzled, so Samuel would probably have to sell the company to return our investment.
A ruthless businessman wouldn’t hesitate.
But that wasn’t me. I started this angel investment firm with Simon because I wanted to help other businesses succeed.
Even without the emotional attachment I felt toward the whole Starling family, I wouldn’t be quick to walk away and leave a company in ruins over the actions of one employee.
Factor in the way the collapse of the company would devastate Morgan, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it.
I was sitting at my desk, staring into space as I contemplated my options with GalvaTech when my office door opened.
I glanced up, expecting to see Simon or my assistant, but my heart skipped a beat when I met Morgan’s captivating green eyes.
They were misty, like she was fighting tears.
Her face was pale, her expression distraught.
I was out of my chair and rounding my desk before she made it more than a few steps into the office. “Morgan.” Her name came out rough. “What are you doing here?”
As I moved closer, she seemed to collapse inward, shoulders sagging, knees going weak.
I caught her, pulling her against my chest without hesitation.
She buried her face in my shirt and took a deep, shuddering breath.
There were no sobs, no dramatic crying. Just quiet tears that somehow felt more heartbreaking.
But the fact that she was here now gave me hope for us.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, running my fingers through her soft hair. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I never should have kept the truth from you.”
“No.” She pulled back just enough to look up at me, and I gently brushed away the tears streaking her cheeks. “It’s not just that. I wish you’d told me, yes, but I came here because…”
Her voice cracked and I pulled her to the client chairs in front of my desk, shifting them so that they were facing each other and urging her to sit. I took a seat in front of her, so close that our knees were touching. I didn’t let go of her hands.
“Tell me,” I said gently.
“It’s Parker.” She sniffled and gulped but didn’t start crying again. “You were right about the embezzlement, but it’s so much worse than just stealing from the company.”
I couldn’t imagine how it could get any worse than a man betraying his own family for money.
But as she explained about the pills after his surgery, the addiction that spiraled into heroin use, the mounting debts and threats from dealers, I realized she was absolutely right.
This was so much more complicated than simple greed.
Now, knowing desperation and fear and addiction had driven his choices, it made sense in a tragic way.
“I just don’t know how I missed the signs.” Morgan’s voice was small, defeated, and guilt was written all over her face. “How could I not see that he was struggling?”
I squeezed her hands. “He’s obviously high-functioning, even on the drugs.
I’ve spent plenty of time around him over the past couple months, and I never saw any classic signs that he was using.
You said even Becca doesn’t know, right?
” I asked, and Morgan nodded miserably. “If his own wife doesn’t know, you can’t blame yourself for missing it. ”
“I can’t help it.” Her chin quivered. “I hate knowing he’s been struggling and drowning in debt for years because of his addiction and I had no idea. I would’ve helped him, Liam. If he’d just told me—”
“You’re going to help him now,” I said firmly. “It’s not too late. We’ll figure this out together.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks as she looked away in embarrassment. “About yesterday. I know I overreacted, said things I didn’t mean—”
“Stop.” I cupped her face in my hands, making her look at me. “Forget about yesterday. You were protecting your family. I get it. And maybe I should have handled things differently from the start. I should have trusted you with the truth instead of keeping you in the dark.”
“No, I understand why you didn’t tell me.
” She took a shaky breath. “I hate to admit it, but it might have been for the best. I never would have suspected Parker. If you’d told me about the missing money early on, I might have mentioned it to him without thinking.
I could have tipped him off, given him time to cover his tracks better, and he needed to be caught and held accountable.
You were right. I was just too angry and hurt to see that last night.
” She pulled one hand free to wipe at her eyes. “God, what a mess.”
“We’ll figure it out,” I promised her, knowing I’d be by her side the entire time. “What does Parker want to do? Has he agreed to get help?”
She nodded. “He wants to go to rehab. I’m going to help him find a good facility, somewhere that specializes in opioid addiction.
” She let out a bitter laugh. “The irony is, getting caught might have saved his life. He also said the dealers were getting more aggressive with their threats. He was terrified but saw no way out.”
“And the embezzlement?”
“He wants to confess everything to my dad. Face whatever consequences that come.” Morgan’s voice steadied slightly. “I told him I’d be there with him when he does it. He shouldn’t have to go through that alone.”
Pride swelled in my chest. Even after everything—the lies, the betrayal, the heartbreak—Morgan’s first instinct was to support her family.
“When are you telling Samuel?” I asked.
“This afternoon. I wanted to talk to you first.” She met my eyes, vulnerable and open in a way that made my throat tight. “I needed to apologize. And I needed you to know that I trust you. Even when it’s hard, even when the truth hurts, I trust you.”
The weight that had been pressing in on my chest since last night finally lifted. “I love you,” I said, the words spilling out before I could stop them.
Her eyes widened in surprise. “What?”
Shit. This probably wasn’t the best timing, but I couldn’t take it back now. And honestly, I didn’t want to hold on to these feelings any longer.
“I love you, Morgan Starling,” I repeated, stronger this time. “I know you’re dealing with a crisis and we just had our first real fight, but I need you to know that I love you. And I’m not going anywhere. Whatever happens with Parker and GalvaTech and all of this, we’ll face it together.”
For a moment she just stared at me, lips parted in shock. Then she launched herself forward, wrapping her arms around my neck and kissing me hard.
“I love you, too,” she whispered against my lips. “I love you so much.”
I pulled her closer, deepening the kiss, pouring everything I felt into it. Relief and love and gratitude that she was there, that we were okay, that we’d survived our first real test.
When we finally broke apart, both breathing hard, Morgan rested her forehead against mine. “We’re going to get through this,” she said. Not a question, but a statement of fact.
“Yeah,” I agreed, smiling at her. “We are.”
Because now I knew for certain, whatever challenges came our way, we’d face them together. And that made all the difference.