Chapter 53
Chapter Fifty-Three
GAbrIEL
After everyone was fed, the kids went home to spend time with their paternal grandparents and aunt, and the house was back in order, we sat down to discuss the plan. My mom and Charlotte’s mom had become fast friends while making dessert for everyone.
Charlotte had caught everyone up with the CliffsNotes version of the story, and I could tell every single person there was ready to do battle for her.
Michelle said what we were all thinking. “We burn it down, sis. All of it. We only have to figure out how to do it legally.”
Charlotte sighed. “The key is Julian. He made it clear I don’t get to CEO without his stamp of approval.”
My hand curled into a fist. “By sleeping with him.”
She met my eyes. “Which was never going to happen. But that kind of arrogance and the belief he can do whatever he wants without consequence is his weakness. And not just his. The McMillions built their empire on men like him. If Julian goes down, guaranteed he’ll drag them with him.”
“So what’s the play?”
She took a long breath. “Step one: I ask Julian to meet. Public place, plenty of eyes around, but quiet enough to talk. Step two: get him to open his mouth long enough to hang himself with it.”
I was already shaking my head. “Absolutely not. Not unless I’m there with you.” I wasn’t about to let Julian paw at her ever again.
“You can’t,” she replied calmly. “I have to be alone. I also have to figure out a way of recording him, and if it’s legal to do so.”
Michelle offered the answer. “It depends. If you can meet him in a public enough place, then there is no reasonable expectation of privacy, and consent wouldn’t be something either party needs to give. Question is how to set that up?”
Leo, who’d been quiet, spoke up. “That’s where I come in.
If we can find a restaurant you think he’d meet you in, I could have someone nearby recording.
Of course we’d be on the other end listening the whole time, both to gather the evidence needed and for your safety.
” He gave me a knowing glance, and I appreciated he was already thinking along those lines.
“So let’s say you get him to say he can get you the job if you give him what he wants.” My stomach turned imagining her being in that position. “Then what?”
“Good question.” Charlotte knew what I did.
That meeting with the owners wouldn’t be in public, which meant no recording them, and frankly I didn’t see them tipping their hand in admitting anything.
“You could file lawsuits,” Michelle offered.
“One against Julian, one against the owners. I could call a friend who I’m sure would be happy to represent you.
But fair warning, with their resources, they’d countersue and bury you in legal fees. ”
Kelsey spoke up. “Another option is to go to the press with it. The court of public opinion can be much more damaging than a lawsuit. And I have just the person to call.”
Options meant taking the power back and having the ability to make decisions on what road she wanted to travel. Of course, none of them would be easy.
“In the meantime, the hard part will be going into the office and pretending it’s business as usual,” I murmured.
Charlotte was one of the most capable people I knew, but it was a tall order to go into the office tomorrow and keep this all under wraps.
I certainly wouldn’t be capable of such a poker face.
“I hate that for you.” My mom echoed all of our thoughts.
Charlotte sighed. “It won’t be for long. At least if we can get the meeting with Julian quickly.”
The next hour unfolded like a war council around the dining table. Michelle handled the legal angles, Leo broke down the tech for recording, and Kelsey made her phone call.
When she hung up, her grin said it all. “My friend Paige at The New York Times says if you get the proof, she’s all in.”
Charlotte met my eyes. For the first time, it felt like we weren’t merely reacting. We were going on the offense.
The toughest part of any good plan was having the patience to let it unfold exactly right. And this one demanded precision and restraint on Tuesday afternoon.
“Dude, no more caffeine for you,” Dominic chastised, snagging the coffee out of my hand. “You’re vibrating.”
He wasn’t wrong. The woman I loved was sitting across from a predator at some overpriced restaurant downtown while Leo and his team ran surveillance. And me? I’d been benched, pacing my condo like a caged animal, every instinct screaming for me to be out there with her.
But this was about trust. Trust in Charlotte’s plan. Trust in Leo’s team.
By the time lunch was done, the recording was secure, and Charlotte was on her way into the office for phase two.