CHAPTER 9
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The ride up the elevator was a sad procession for Emma.
In one breath she had lost her livelihood and worse, she would probably no longer be able to work as a secretary in New York, for she was sure that Michael Foreman would have her vetoed.
Though broken, she returned with her integrity intact. She thought she could ask William Sanders for help, but what could an in-house lawyer do against a senior partner?
Liam had no business saving her. He most certainly wouldn't want to go against the grain of his future father-in-law.
Worst of all, she wasn't sure what depressed her more, whether it was the fact that she was losing her job or that she would never see Liam again.
Silly, big silly!
What did not see this man again have to do to this?
She hadn't seen him in a decade and survived.
She had no reason to be on those nerves.
She wouldn't know what to say to Tanner.
She feared seeing in her son the disappointment of a failed mother and for icing on the cake, she imagined her sister Faith laughing at her.
The elevator door opened, signaling that she had reached her floor, but as she approached her desk she noticed a messenger-looking boy waiting.
There she spotted Emily, rifling through drawers. That woman sure was fast.
Emma hurried her steps, and as Emily was rummaging through the drawers, the woman caught a glimpse of the header of the document on the desk, Notification of Public Offer, and that's when Emma realized that the devious Emily was looking for the reception stamp, the one with Liam's office logo on it.
It was a decision that took her less than five seconds and she ran up to Emily to stop her. It was clear that Liam, whom she still presumed to be absent, was being set up.
“What are you doing,” Emma thought, grabbing the paper on the table.
Emily, who was crouched down and hadn't seen her coming, quickly sat up and tried to take the document, but Emma avoided her.
“You have no right to claim anything from me. You were fired and I am an active employee, get out of here or I'll call security!”
“I don't know what you're trying to do, but I haven't picked up my things yet, so this desk is still mine!”
Emily wasn't playing games. Her orders were clear. She was to place the receipt stamp on that document, although she didn't expect the blessed rubric to be so hard to find.
“Hand me the office stamp,” she demanded in her most lethal voice.
“I'm not giving you anything,” Emma replied.
The messenger watched in amazement at the unprecedented bidding between the two women.
Emily shoved Emma, who managed to catch herself on the couch to avoid falling.
The woman reacted by slapping Emily.
All in all, she was already fired, but with her last breath in this place she was going to keep them from sealing that paper until at least someone from Liam's team arrived.
The screams of both women had mobilized the entire floor in an embarrassing spectacle.
“What the hell is going on here!” Liam's booming voice suddenly appeared causing both contestants to let go.
Emma froze as she was subjected to his deep blue gaze on her.
Emily pointed her finger at her.
“That woman assaulted me!”
“That's a lie, I was just trying to stop her from sealing this paper!” Emma shouted, showing the document, which by now had wrinkles on it.
But Emily, despite Liam's sudden and untimely appearance, thought she had the upper hand. She had the backing of her boss, the mighty Michael Foreman. Who would dare to complain to him?
“She shouldn't even be here...!” exclaimed Emily.
Liam cut her off with a terrible look.
“The one who shouldn't be here is you,” Liam's cold voice denoted his anger. “Get out”
Unable to disobey such a direct and sinisterly spoken order, Emily swallowed and walked out, clicking her heels.
The messenger was still waiting, dumbfounded, but when Liam gave him the same look with which he had frightened Emily, the boy decided to run away without even waiting for the return of the document he had brought and whose reception stamp was waiting. He would rather lose his job than become a victim of that man.
“And don't you guys have work to do?” Liam shouted to the group of curious employees who had gathered and who shot off in terror.
A trembling Emma was still glued to the desk.
“To my office, now,” he ordered her to follow him.
The woman had no choice but to follow him, but not forgetting to take the document of discord.
Liam looked angry and disappointed. It was no wonder he told her that the company wanted to press charges against her for the damage done.
“Close the door,” he ordered as he rounded his desk.
Emma obeyed and then stiffly approached to await his sentence.
Liam read the crumpled paper in his hands. His eyes flashed with anger and he tossed the paper into the wastebasket.
“Speak”
Emma cleared her voice to answer.
“I recognize notices of public offerings for sale and if that document was stamped with the office's signature, a deadline would begin to run,” Emma didn't know how to continue, but went on. “Emily's intentions were not clear, but she could not allow a paper to be stamped that you had not seen”
Liam seemed surprised that she was so detailed. She was supposed to be Legal's secretary, he never imagined she knew about such things.
“How do you know about this...?”
Liam's gaze practically glared at her and she felt unable to run away from his inquiry.
“Because I'm not a bad secretary, because, although you didn't tell me, I know that the business plan includes the hostile takeover of another company...but, most of all, I recognize when there are power skirmishes and you are a candidate to run this company. It's obvious that someone wants to hurt you”
Liam never told her about his plan, but she had roughly deduced it.
He was extremely impressed and Emma could tell by the relaxed look on his face and also because he sat down.
“I never imagined Dorothy knew about mergers. We're a long way from Cheyenne”
Although he said it sardonically, the mention of his past in Cheyenne stirred something in Emma. Something unbearably alive that drove through Liam's blue gaze.
Mind you, it annoyed her that he called her by that nickname.
After the strange silence settled in that charged atmosphere, Emma squared her shoulders.
“Anyway, it doesn't matter, I have very little time to clear the desk and leave. Mr. Foreman was clear about the time he was giving me grace”
Liam raised an eyebrow.
“Did he fire you?”
“He did”
Liam sat up.
“The only one who can fire you is me. These are my offices and this is when we have a lot of work to do, do you intend to jump ship when it's sinking?”
Emma raised her head.
“But...”
He gave a little smile.
“To hell with the public offerings and the hostile takeover of FINANCIAL. While you were having fun here, I had an interesting epiphany,” he smiled as he remembered the perceptive boy who gave him the idea. “We'll make private offers to every partner in that damn company, raising the individual percentages until FINANCIAL is absorbed...and you'll help me prepare the folders for that”
“I’ll...?”
“Yes, you...” He smiled a wicked smile again. “Or am I wrong about you and it's too much for you? If you think so, you should listen to Foreman”
Those phrases might have sounded harsh, but Emma understood the double meaning of them and it was the kick that inflated the pride that was shattered when Michael threw her out.
With Liam's protection, she didn't have to be afraid of this guy.
“I will,” she drew out a thread of voice to respond, careful not to let him notice her almost exaggerated emotion.
How could she not feel that way?
Liam had begun to trust her and was telling her so clearly.