Chapter 16 Morgan
Morgan
Morgan woke to sunlight filtering through her curtains and the lingering scent of sandalwood on her pillow. She reached across the bed, unsurprised to find the space beside her empty. Archer had a habit of slipping away before dawn—another aspect of the mystery that surrounded him.
She stretched, feeling the pleasant ache in muscles well-used the night before.
Their evening together had been... transcendent.
The way he’d taken control, focusing entirely on her pleasure while maintaining his anonymity had awakened something in her she hadn’t known existed.
Even without seeing his face, even without the full act of sex, she felt more connected to him than she had to anyone in years.
As she rose to prepare for work, Morgan discovered a folded note on her bedside table, written in Archer’s now-familiar elegant handwriting: Last night was extraordinary. Counting the hours until I see you again.
The note made her smile. Despite all the mystery and complications, Archer’s gestures of thoughtfulness were becoming a constant she could rely on.
Morgan checked her phone—7:15 AM, still time for coffee before heading to work.
She padded to the kitchen, passing the security cameras Kane had installed without a second thought.
The cameras had been a practical decision after finding her door unlocked, but she hadn’t felt it necessary to mention them to Archer.
It wasn’t that she was hiding anything; it simply hadn’t seemed relevant to their evening together.
As she sipped her coffee, Morgan’s phone pinged with a notification from the clinic. Her test results were in, available through the patient portal. She logged in quickly, her heart rate quickening as she navigated to the results page.
All negative. Relief washed through her.
She immediately texted Archer: Got my results. All clear.
His response came within seconds: Perfect timing. I’m free tonight if you are. My place this time?
Morgan paused, coffee cup halfway to her lips. His place? That was new. Until now, they’d always met at her apartment, maintaining his privacy and control over the environment.
I’d love that. Where?
I’ll send a car at 7.
A car, not his motorcycle. Another deviation from their established pattern. Morgan wondered what had changed, what had prompted this invitation into his personal space. Perhaps the deeper intimacy they’d shared last night had shifted something for him too.
Looking forward to it.
She set her phone down, excitement bubbling through her. Going to Archer’s place meant another layer of mystery being peeled away—another piece of the puzzle that was this enigmatic man who had crashed into her life less than two weeks ago yet already felt essential to her happiness.
The thought brought her up short. Was that what this was? Happiness? The emotion felt almost foreign after months of growing dissatisfaction with her job and the disappointment leading up to Jason’s betrayal.
Morgan pushed the philosophical questions aside and focused on getting ready for work. Friday promised to be busy—the Henderson account still needed damage control, and she had an attorney to call based on Archer’s recommendation.
“Alexandra Winters’ office, how may I help you?”
Morgan adjusted the phone against her ear, trying to sound more confident than she felt. “Hi, my name is Morgan Reeves. I’m calling to see if Ms. Winters might be available for a consultation regarding a corporate fraud matter.”
“May I ask who referred you to our firm?” the receptionist inquired, her tone professionally neutral.
“A friend named Archer,” Morgan replied, realizing too late that she didn’t know his last name. How would she explain that to the receptionist?
To her surprise, there was no request for clarification.
“One moment please,” the receptionist said, placing her on hold.
Less than thirty seconds later, a different voice came on the line—crisp, authoritative, and female. “This is Alexandra Winters. You’re a friend of Archer’s?”
Morgan blinked, startled by the immediate response. “Yes, he recommended you for a situation I’m dealing with at work.”
“I see.” The attorney’s tone warmed slightly. “Archer’s referrals are always a priority. Can you come in today at 11am or tomorrow afternoon? I have a cancellation at 3:30.”
“Yes, absolutely. Tomorrow at 3:30 would work great!” Morgan agreed, surprised at the speed with which things were moving. “Thank you so much.”
“Of course. My assistant will email you the details. See you tomorrow, Ms. Reeves.”
After they hung up, Morgan stood in her kitchen, stunned by the exchange.
She’d done a quick search before she made the call, and Alexandra Winters was apparently one of the city’s top corporate attorneys—getting an appointment so soon should have been impossible, especially for someone like Morgan who wasn’t a high-profile client.
Yet a single mention of Archer’s name had bypassed normal protocols. The implications were puzzling. Just how influential was her mysterious lover in his “security consulting” world?
A knock at her office door interrupted her thoughts. Richard stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable.
“Morgan. Just the person I was looking for.” He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “We need to discuss the Henderson situation.”
Morgan straightened in her chair, instantly on guard. “What about it? I sent Mr. Henderson the apology letter as requested, explaining the invoice was sent in error and called him as well.”
“Yes, well, the matter is more complicated than that.” Richard sat in the chair opposite her desk, his posture deceptively casual. “Financial has flagged several other..." He paused as if searching for the right word. “Discrepancies.” He continued, “In other accounts you’ve managed.”
A cold weight settled in Morgan’s stomach. “Discrepancies? What kind of discrepancies?”
“Approval signatures on vendor payments that don’t match our records. Budget allocations that exceed authorized amounts.” Richard’s eyes held hers steadily. “All with your digital signature.”
“That’s impossible,” Morgan protested. “I’ve never approved anything outside established budgets.”
“The evidence suggests otherwise.”
“What evidence? I want to see these supposed documents.”
Richard’s expression shifted into something like sympathy, but it felt rehearsed. “Unfortunately, that’s not possible during an active internal investigation.”
“Investigation?” Morgan repeated, her voice rising slightly. “Am I being investigated?”
“Let’s call it a review.” Richard stood, straightening his jacket. “In the meantime, you’re being placed on administrative leave, effective immediately.”
The words hit Morgan like a physical blow. “Administrative leave? But I’ve done nothing wrong!”
“It’s standard procedure, Morgan. We need to protect the company while we sort this out.” His tone suggested it was all perfectly reasonable. “I’ll need your keycard and password. IT will be by shortly to collect your computer.”
Morgan stared at him in disbelief. This was happening too fast, spiraling beyond her control. “I want to speak with HR first.”
“They’re expecting you,” Richard said smoothly. “Take your personal items, leave your keycard on the desk, and go directly to Human Resources on the fourth floor.”
With that, he opened her office door and stood waiting, clearly expecting her to comply immediately.
Morgan gathered her purse and a few personal items with shaking hands. The speed with which this was unfolding suggested it had been planned in advance. She’d been ambushed.
“This is a mistake,” she said as she walked past Richard. “I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“For your sake, I hope that’s true,” he replied, his voice betraying no emotion. “Security will escort you out after you meet with HR.”
The next hour passed in a blur of humiliation and shock. The HR representative, a woman Morgan had always found reasonable in past interactions, seemed to have already decided her guilt. The exit interview was cursory, the paperwork pushed across the desk with clinical efficiency.
By 11:30 AM, Morgan found herself standing on the sidewalk outside Vertex Creative, a cardboard box containing her personal effects in her arms, her employee badge and parking pass confiscated.
She got to her car and sat there for a few moments, too numb to consider alternatives. This morning she’d been thinking about her evening with Archer, looking forward to seeing his place for the first time. Now she was effectively suspended from her job, implicated in fraud she hadn’t committed.
She drove home on autopilot and once there, she set the box down and immediately called the number Archer had given her for Alexandra Winters’ office. After speaking briefly with the receptionist who thankfully remembered her, Morgan’s call was transferred to Alexandra Winters immediately.
“Ms. Winters, this is Morgan Reeves. I’m sorry to bother you, but I’ve just been placed on administrative leave pending a fraud investigation at my company. I’m not sure what I should do.”
“I understand,” the attorney replied without hesitation. “Can you be here in an hour?”
Surprised but remembering that she’d had an opening today and that it was only 10am, Morgan responded with heartfelt gratitude, “Yes. Thank you so much.”
“And Ms. Reeves? Don’t discuss this with anyone before we meet.”
Morgan agreed and hung up, before sitting heavily on her couch, trying to process the morning’s events. Richard was setting her up, that much was clear. But why? What could he possibly gain by blaming her for financial irregularities?
She wanted desperately to call Archer, to hear his reassuring voice, to have him tell her it would be alright. But the attorney’s warning lingered. Don’t discuss this with anyone. Even Archer? Probably even Archer.