Chapter 18
Chapter eighteen
Chase
“Good morning, Bethany,” I grunt as I stride towards my office. She looks up, and her face falls. My foul mood is written all over me.
She stands up, reaching for her iPad. “Do you want me to run through your schedule for today?”
“Not now,” I clip. “Is the meeting with Austen and the software team still scheduled for nine a.m.?”
“Yes, they’ve been informed.”
“Good. Can you get me a paper copy of the Monarch proposal? I want to make some tweaks.”
“Certainly.”
I slide into my seat and fire up my laptop, wincing at the stiffness in my hand.
I went hell for leather at training this morning.
Pounding out my frustration. After an un-fucking-forgettable night with Violet, it seems we’re back to square one.
Either she wants this, or she doesn’t. She needs to decide.
There’s a gentle knock on my door before Bethany sticks her head around with the proposal and a coffee in hand.
“Thought you looked like you needed a boost,” she says, placing down the mug along with the proposal.
“Thank you, Bethany. If you could divert all my calls unless it’s urgent, I need to work on this before the meeting.”
“Of course. Let me know if you need anything else.” She leaves, closing the door with a gentle click.
I roll out my shoulders and scan through the proposal for the hundredth time, making adjustments based on Monarch’s latest feedback.
They want a faster implementation timeline—fine, I’ll rework the rollout schedule to make it happen.
Cost efficiency is a sticking point, so I streamline a few features without compromising security.
And since they’re concerned about integration with their existing systems, I highlight our flexibility there.
I’m so absorbed in my work that when I finally glance at my screen, it’s already 8:50 a.m. The meeting with the software team is in ten minutes.
Exhaling, I snap my laptop shut and slip into my suit jacket.
As much as I’ve avoided the word leak, last night’s late call with Austen confirmed what we both suspected—it’s happening.
Whether it’s careless chatter or something more deliberate, information has been making its way to Elliot, and it stops now.
Pushing back from my desk, I grab my coffee and head for the conference room.
Compliance and I.T. Security are joining us to reinforce the message—whatever details they’re sharing, even unintentionally, need to stay in-house.
Bethany sits up straighter as I pass by. She’s not alone. The blonde girl from marketing is delivering some paperwork for me to sign. “I should be no longer than an hour,” I say to Bethany as I head to the elevator.
As I wait for the elevator, Fergus stops to waffle in my ear about his latest dick extension—a Ferrari Strada. I nod along, not really listening, my ears pricking when I hear Violet’s name thrown into a conversation at Bethany’s desk.
“...had a pizza and movie night at Violet’s.”
My fist clenches around my laptop case.
Bethany smiles. “That’s nice, Millie. Who was there?”
“Just Seb, Gracie, and Ryan. Between you and me,” Millie adds with a laugh. “I’m trying to set Violet up with Ryan.”
By the time the elevator arrives, my mood is officially in the deepest gutter.
When I walk into the conference room, the conversation dies instantly. Good. At least they have the sense to realize this isn’t a friendly morning huddle.
Violet is already here, sitting halfway down the table, twiddling a pen between her thumb and finger. The first time I’ve seen her since the retreat, and she won’t even look at me. My mood, already dark, curdles further.
I take my seat at the head of the table, letting the silence stretch just long enough to ensure they’re all paying attention. Beside me, Austen leans back in his chair, legs crossed, watching.
“We have a problem,” I say. My voice is calm, controlled. Deadly. “Confidential information has made its way outside this company. Either through carelessness or intent.” My gaze sweeps the room. “Both are unacceptable.”
Austen leans forward, his tone even. “We need to identify vulnerabilities, track down where the breach happened, and eliminate the risk.”
I.T. Security jumps in first, predictably eager to shift the blame. “From an access standpoint, Software Development is the biggest risk factor. If someone mishandled credentials or permissions—”
I turn my gaze to the software team, notably Mark, who looks like he’s about to shit his pants. “Let’s talk about that, Mark. Because frankly, I’m struggling to understand how something like this happens unless someone in your department is either reckless or incompetent.”
Tension spikes. No one speaks.
Then Violet does.
“With all due respect,” she says, her voice clear and cutting through the silence, “it’s premature to pin this on Software Development.”
A few heads turn her way in quiet horror. Most people wouldn’t dare contradict me right now. Mark stays silent, letting his junior employee fight his battle.
Her eyes meet mine. Unflinching. Fuck. Why is she more gorgeous every time I see her?
“If we’re talking about mishandling, the risk extends beyond just us,” she continues. “I.T. Security manages permissions. Compliance signs off on approvals. If you want to find the failure, you need to look at every point of exposure, not only one.”
The room is dead silent.
She’s right, though.
I lean back in my chair, the weight of my attention fully on her.
“So you’re saying your team is beyond scrutiny?” My voice is smooth, but there’s an edge to it.
“No,” she says, unfazed. “I’m saying we’re not the only ones who should be under it.”
A slow, sharp-edged smile tugs at the corner of my mouth.
Bold move.
I let the silence press down before finally turning to Austen.
“We audit everything. I.T. Security reviews logs and permissions. Compliance does a full assessment of approvals. Software Development conducts an internal review. If there’s incompetence, I want it corrected—immediately.
” My voice drops lower. “If this was deliberate?” I let the weight of it settle. “The consequences will be severe.”
A few people shift in their seats. No one breathes too loudly.
I shove back my chair and rise, adjusting my suit jacket with an easy calm. Then my gaze lands on Violet.
“Miss Harper, my office—now.”
She doesn’t cower, but her fingers tighten around her pen.
I don’t wait for a response; I just turn and walk out.
Before the door closes behind me, I hear Seb mutter, “Jesus Christ. It’s too early in the day for this shit.”
I’ve barely sat down when I hear the elevator doors open, and Violet steps out, her mouth set in a hard line. She’s angry. Good. At least I get honesty from her when she’s mad. Surprisingly, she doesn’t march straight in. She stops by Bethany’s desk first.
Am I finally taming her?
“I’ve been summoned,” she says, a sarcastic smile curving her mouth.
It seems not.
Bethany flashes her a sympathetic smile, whispering something about how I need to be handled with care. Violet rolls her eyes. She should really know better. How her defiance is like a red rag to a bull.
There’s a firm knock, and she steps in, her shoulders squared with determination.
“You wanted to see me, sir.” Her eyes pin me down with a challenge.
Ignoring the twinge of longing in my chest, I keep my tone firm. “I wanted to see you last night, but it seems like you had better things to do.” I don’t mince my words. I’m confident we both want this. I just need her to admit it. She seems taken aback, as though this isn’t what she was expecting.
“I thought this was about the meeting today?”
“I don’t give a fuck about the meeting, Violet. But it seems like the only way I’ll get to see you is summoning you to my office.”
“I would have liked to see you yesterday morning,” she fires back. “But I guess you also had better things to do.”
And there we have it—finally, the truth.
My mouth twitches with the need to smile, but I hold it in. “You’re mad because I left? You were the one, if I remember correctly, who seemed terrified of us being seen together.”
“It’s up to you what you do.” She folds her arms, averting her gaze towards the window. Her usual tactic. Denial. Shutting me out.
“Violet, look at me.” She chews her lip, her brow creased as she wrestles with her emotions, but her gaze stays locked on the New York skyline.
Sighing, I stand, the need to touch her trumping everything.
“I’m sorry, okay,” I say, my tone softening.
“Charles insisted on a round of golf, and you looked so peaceful. I didn’t want to wake you.
” Her breath hitches when I place a finger under her chin, tilting it up.
And then those damn green eyes fix on mine, flickering with uncertainty.
She has no idea how much power they wield over me.
I could stare at them for a lifetime and it still wouldn’t be enough.
Her eyelids flutter when I caress my thumb over the seam of her lips, gliding it up over her cheekbone.
“Why are you so afraid, Violet?” I murmur. “To admit you want this?”
I get the briefest glimpse of her dimples as her mouth stretches in a half-smile. “You’re pretty sure of yourself.”
“Only an idiot couldn’t see that Saturday night was incredible.”
“Are you calling me an idiot?” She smiles properly this time, her dimples on full display. Between the eyes and the dimples, I don’t stand a chance.
“No, I’m calling you incredible.” My thumb rubs circles at the sensitive spot behind her ear as I thread my fingers through her silky hair.
There’s a charged silence, and I think I’ve won until a glimmer of doubt sparks back to life in her eyes.
“But you must know how people would judge me if word got out. Not you. Only me.”
“So what? This is my company. If people don’t like it, they can leave.” If I had it my way, the entire universe would know she’s mine, then the Ryans of this world wouldn’t even dare breathe the same air as her.
“That’s not the point.” She pinches the bridge of her nose, exhaling with frustration.
“No one has to know,” I quickly add, sensing I’m losing her again. “Although Austen knows.”
“Austen knows?” She gulps, eyeing me in horror.
“I can’t hide anything from Austen. He knows me too well. But you don’t need to worry about Austen. I promise you.” I caress her jaw with my fingertips, feeling her tremble under my touch.
“It’s not that I didn’t want to see you last night,” she says carefully, finally addressing the subject. “It’s that Ryan and Seb were there, and I didn’t want them to find out.”
“It’s fine,” I reply, ignoring the sting of jealousy. “But we’re exclusive. I’m not sharing you with anyone.”
“Huh? Why would you?”
“Ryan needs to stay in his lane.”
Her eyes twinkle with amusement as realization dawns. “Ryan hasn’t veered out of his lane once.”
“Let’s keep it that fucking way,” I grit out through clenched teeth.
“You know you are kind of cute when you’re jealous.”
“No, Violet. I’m very fucking far from cute, which you’ll find out later today.”
She yelps as I grab her ass, squeezing it tight. I back her against the door, dipping my head to nip her neck. Her hands tangle in my hair as she tries to pull my lips to hers.
I angle my head away, teasing her with a soft taunt in her ear.
“No, Violet. You didn’t think I would let you go unpunished, did you?
” My lips hover just above hers until her eyes flutter closed.
“For the rest of the day, I want you to remember how you screamed for my tongue... how you swallowed my cock like you were starved for it.”
I caress her nipple until a tiny whimper spills from her lips. “How these pretty, aching nipples love to be sucked and bitten until they’re red raw.”
Her mouth falls open as she melts beneath me. I use all my superhuman strength to step away, reaching for the door handle.
“Be back at my office at six p.m.”
She blinks, dazed, then narrows her eyes as they snap to mine.
“Ugh, you’re such an asshole.”
I smirk. “You’re catching on fast.”
I call out to her as she stomps to the elevator. “Remember, six p.m., Violet. Bethany will call you to remind you.”
I glance at Bethany, and she nods, her bemused gaze following Violet.
We may have to add one more person to the list of people in the know.
Because I see in the shrewd glint in Bethany’s eyes, she’s cracked onto us.
But I trust Bethany to a fault. She wouldn’t have worked for me for so long if I didn’t.
Now I have to work out how I’m going to get through the day without marching down to Violet’s office and taking her over her desk until Bethany brings me back down to earth with a thud.
“Your ten o’clock appointment is at reception. Can they send them up?”
“Yes,” I groan. “Send them up.”
It’s going to be a long fucking day.