When I got to Premier Financial the next morning, Marcus Davidson was waiting at my desk. He was sitting in my chair as if he owned the place, his designer suit tailored to perfection, the smug smile plastered on his face sickened me.
"Katherine. We need to talk."
"Get out of my chair, Marcus." I placed my coffee cup on the table with greater force than necessary. "Now."
"Touchy." He got up slowly, pretending to adjust his cuff-links. "Well, I'd be touchy, too, if my career was going down the toilet."
"What do you want?"
"Just to chat. Colleague to colleague." He sat on the edge of the desk, encroaching on my territory. "About your relationship with Anthony Marvin."
I felt a lump form in my stomach, but I managed to keep my features neutral. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Please," he said, smiling broadly now. "Half the office knows you left with him yesterday after your car got vandalized. And the other half knows the news about the warehouse bombing. You're having an affair with a client, Katherine. And that's grounds for termination."
"I'm not sleeping with anyone." I said matter-of-factly. "Besides, even if I was, it's none of your business."
"Not directly, no," said Davidson as he pulled out his phone to show me a photo - it was me and Tony at the Italian restaurant in Brooklyn, through the window from where they stood.
"You've been seen with him a few times now. Dinner dates. At his penthouse apartment. Too cozy for it to be purely business."
Ice coursed through my veins. "You've been following me?"
"I've been looking after the interests of the bank," he said, pocketing his phone. Then he said, "Richard asked me to monitor your progress on the Marvin client. You could imagine the surprise I got from learning you were having 'progress' on multiple fronts."
"You bastard."
"Careful. That's no way to talk to your future supervisor." He adjusted his tie. "Because that's what's happening here, Katherine. I'm getting your position. Richard's already approved it. We're just waiting for you to either secure the Marvin account, which we both know isn't going to happen, or resign in disgrace."
"I'm not resigning."
'"No?" He moved closer, voice lowering. "Then perhaps you should know that I have already lodged a complaint about you at the human resources office. Inappropriate relationship between staff and client, ethical breaches, exploitation of office for personal purposes - to name a few."
The words were like punches to my body. Every ounce of work I have put into my life, the late nights, the sacrificed weekends, the corporate climb, about to be ruined because I'd had the mistake of falling for the wrong man.
"Why are you doing this?" My voice was steadier than I expected. "What did I ever do to you?"
"You got the position I wanted," He shrugged, "And you made it easy, Katherine. All I had to do was point out to Richard that you'd be ideal for the Marvins account, then sit back and watch you blow up. Though I'll admit, I certainly hadn't expected you to actually fall for the man."
The facts fell into line like a sickening puzzle. "You framed me. From the very start."
"I created an opportunity. You chose to take it." Davidson walked towards the elevator, then turned back around. "Oh, and Katherine? I have a cousin who works for the Torrino family. They're very interested in your association with the Marvins. Very interested, you might want to watch your back."
He was off before I could react, and I stood alone at the desk, the victim of a ruined career and an impending death warrant.
"Kat?" Susan's pale face appeared at my elbow. "I heard every word of it. The son of a bitch.'
"He set me up." I slumped into the chair, unable to support the weight of my legs. 'The Marvin account, the whole thing. He knew I'd take it up. Knew it would compromise me.'
Susan pulled up a chair, her voice barely above a whisper. "He's linked to the Torrinos." Which means he's been stealing information about you and Tony the whole time.
The surveillance? The threats? The photo of me and Elliot? It all fits now. Davidson had been the pipeline, turning my professional assignment into a weapon against both me and Tony.
'I have to call Tony.' I pulled out the phone.
"Wait." Susan took my hand. "Think about this for a moment," she said. "You plan to tell Tony that Davidson is tied to the Torrinos. What happens then?"
"Tony handles it."
"Tony makes him disappear." Susan's eyes held deadly seriousness. "You'll become an accomplice in the 'handling' process for him. Do you really want that?"
I opened my mouth to protest, then closed it. She was right. Tony's world didn't play by corporate rules. If I told him Davidson was the leak, Davidson would end up in the Hudson River soon.
And I'd have to live with that.
"So what do I do?"
"You go on offense." Susan pulled out her own phone. "Stop letting these men control your narrative. You want to be with Tony? Then own it. Publicly. Take away their power to threaten you with exposure."
"You want me to go public with the relationship?"
"I want you to stop acting like you have something to hide." Susan squeezed my hand. "You fell for a man. And the man happens to be very powerful, very dangerous, and totally wrong for you in every possible way. But you fell for him anyway. So stop apologizing for it. Stop letting Davidson and Richard and the rest of the world convince you that you did something wrong."
The logic was sound, even if it frightened me to death. So long as I was keeping the relationship with Tony on the down-low, I was providing fuel for the fire for men like Davidson. But if I could own it.
"Tony's not going to like this." I was already typing a text message. "He's going to want to protect me, keep things quiet."
"Tony's going to have to handle it," Susan grinned. In fact, she thought, given what she'd learned about him, he isn't the type of person who'd hesitate to claim his property.
The possessive tone should have annoyed me. Instead, it started a wave of heat flowing through my stomach. Tony had spoken the words a few times before, and every time the underlying tone of possession made me shiver.
I wrote the rest of the text:
"We need to talk. I'm done hiding. If we're going to do this, then we do it my way. Publicly."
His response was instant: My office - one hour.
Susan leaned over my shoulder and whistled. "He's either going to f**k you or fight you. Possibly both", she giggled.
"Susan"
"What? He's been after you since day one! And then you go and tell him you want to claim him back? That's going to push some serious buttons."
She wasn't wrong. Tony was accustomed to controlling situations, threats, and everything within his sphere of influence. I was going to challenge that by taking the initiative and making demands.
Good. He needs to be challenged.
The desk phone rang, and Richard's extension was flashing on the display. I answered, knowing what was coming next.
"Katherine. My office. Now. The HR representative will be joining."
The line went silent.
Susan's face went pale. "Shit"
"Yeah." I stood up, smoothing my pencil skirt with hands that shook in irritation. "Here we go."
The trip to Richard's office was like a death march. Other workers watched me walk by with facial expressions ranging from sympathy to smugness. The news about Davidson's complaint must have gotten around.
Richard's assistant led me to the conference room rather than his office. Not a good sign. HR Director Patricia Chen was already in the room, her face professionally unreadable. Richard sat at the head of the table like a judge on the bench for a trial.
"Sit down, Katherine."
I sat, keeping my back straight and my head held high. No matter what happened next, I refused to let them break me.
"We've received a formal complaint about your behavior with a prospective client," Patricia said as she opened a file folder. "Specifically, Anthony Marvin of Marvin Industries. The complaint alleges an inappropriate personal relationship in violation of our ethics policy."
"Who filed the complaint?" I asked, although I already knew the answer.
"That's confidential." Patricia's tone made it clear that that was the end of the discussion on the subject. "A statement from you concerning the nature of your relationship with Mr. Marvin - that's what I need."
This was it! This was the point at which I could either lie to retain the job or tell the truth and accept the consequences.
I thought of Tony's hands around my waist, his lips on mine, the look he gave me as if I was the only thing in the world.
I thought about Elliot, the bills I had to pay, and the promotion I had waited six years for.
And I made my choice.
"Anthony Marvin and I are in a relationship. A personal relationship that developed after my initial contact with him. We have been seeing each other for about two weeks."
His face clouded over. "And you didn't think to mention the conflict of interest?"
"With respect, Richard, there is no conflict. I have not yet obtained the Marvin account. And I have neither received compensation nor favors. The relationship I have with Tony is separate from any business dealings."
"That's not how it works, and you know it." Richard leaned forward aggressively. "You've compromised your position, the reputation of the bank, and maybe even left us open to legal liability."
"Or," I said, gathering my courage, "I'm a single woman who met someone. The fact that he happens to be wealthy doesn't make my personal life your business."
Patricia made a note in the file, "Ms. Blaire, I'm afraid that we are going to have to put you on administrative leave pending a full investigation. Two weeks paid leave," she added.
"That's not necessary-"
"It's not negotiable." Richard's smile was thin. "Take it as a favor. Other workers in your circumstances would be fired immediately."
The message was clear: either I resigned, or I would be fired. These were the only two options available to me.
I stood up, assembling the fragments of dignity I still had left. "I'll clean out my desk," I said.
"That won't be necessary." He nodded towards the security guards standing at the door. "We'll pack up your personal stuff and send them to you. You are no longer welcome in the building."
They were escorting me out like a criminal. After six years of commitment, after sixty-hour weeks and personal time sacrificed, I'm being led through the lobby with security guards on both sides of me.
The humiliation burned like acid.
Yet as I walked past Marcus Davidson's smug face, the mutterings and glances of the other workers, I held my head high.
Because I'd picked Tony. And whatever happened after, at least it would be my choice.
My phone rang while the security guards dropped me off on the sidewalk. Tony's name appeared on the screen.
"Katherine, where are you?"
"I just got fired."
My voice broke, hard as I tried to control it. "Or suspended. Same difference."
"I'm sending a car. Don't move."
"Tony–"
"Don't move, Katherine. I'll handle this.'
The line went dead, and I stood on the Manhattan sidewalk watching my career disappear into smoke and ash.
But even as everything fell apart, the only thought circling through my mind was:
At least, at this time, I had nothing left to lose.