Part 19 (1/2)

”It wasn't me.” Her voice was shrill, and she tried to get it together but it was so d.a.m.n hard with the way he looked at her, treated her. Why wouldn't he listen? Did he think so low of her? Had he always felt this way? ”I swear to G.o.d, Alex. It wasn't me.”

”None of this makes sense. None of it.” The elevator doors slid open, and he shoved Tessa inside. She turned to face him, out and out crying now. It didn't matter. She had no reputation to save. ”The security guard will escort you out of the building. I don't ever want to see you step foot into Worth Luxury again.”

”Please give me another chance.” She was begging. Begging for her job, her life, her love and he brutally rejected her as if she didn't matter. As if she never mattered.

How could he be so cruel?

”You've ruined any chance with me.” His voice was like steel, much like his eyes, firm and impossible to penetrate. ”Goodbye, Tessa.” The doors slid closed and she slumped to the floor, her bottom hitting the ground so hard she cried out. She sobbed the entire ride down, confused by his stern reaction. Why didn't he let her explain? Why did he look at her as if he hated her? What had she done to him that was so awful?

That he wouldn't listen to her made no sense. He might be stubborn, but he always listened. Usually he gave up the more bulldog tendencies to Hunter.

Not tonight. He'd given her no leeway, hadn't wanted to listen to anything she had to say. She was guilty in his eyes. He'd needed no judge and jury, wouldn't let her say a word. She was wrong. She'd deceived him.

If only he knew the truth...

159.

When the elevator stopped on the first floor, the doors opened and the security guard waited for her on the other side. Seeing her on the floor a ragged mess, sympathy filled his eyes and he stepped in, offering his hand so he could pull her to her feet.

”You okay, Miss Crawford?”

No, she wasn't okay. She'd never be okay again but she couldn't admit all her troubles to him. She gave him a false smile and let him tug her up. ”Not really, but thank you for asking.”

He remained mum, escorting her out of the building just as Alex had promised. She glanced around the expansive first floor lobby, the high ceilings, the billboard-sized posters of attractive models wearing Worth on the walls. She didn't belong anymore.

She never would.

160.

Chapter Fourteen.

One year later...

”Have they found her?”

Hunter paused in the doorway of Alex's office, his expression going blank. ”I think you need to face facts that we're never going to find her. Ever.” Alex tapped his pen against the edge of the desk and gazed out the window.

It had been a year since that fateful night in his office when he'd accused her of being a spy. He'd believed it with every fiber of his being, had known it to be true. She'd betrayed him. Deceived him in the worst way possible, not only by becoming a loyal and trusted employee but also a woman he'd given his body to.

Given his heart to. He just hadn't realized it at the time.

Unfortunately, he'd been wrong about the entire situation. Tessa had told him the truth. The spy was the vice president of marketing, Hunter's right hand man, Stephen. He'd purposely tracked Tessa, had set her up so she would be the one to take the fall. After working so many years for Worth and realizing he'd never go as high as the position he currently held, Stephen had looked for a way to make a substantial amount of money on the side.

So he'd sold secrets to their rivals and a few of the top fas.h.i.+on blogs who he encouraged to spread the gossip. He'd chosen Tessa as his fall guy because she'd rejected him when she first started working at Worth. He'd been interested, had tried to ask her out and she'd refused his offer. He'd set her up out of spite.

Stephen was the worst sort of sc.u.m.

Hunter had been devastated, more determined than ever to throw up walls and never let anyone penetrate him or his trust again. He went through women like they were Kleenex, using them up and tossing them aside before they could get too close. Threw himself into his work, filling the empty vice president position with someone from within his team, a more than competent woman who knew what she was doing and wasn't afraid to offer her opinion.

Just what they needed at Worth.

Alex had withdrawn. He hadn't been with a woman since his last night with Tessa. Much like Hunter, he worked hard, harder than he ever had and that was saying much. Ignoring all social obligations and friends, he personally saw to the construction and renovation of the new London location, going there often.

Staying for weeks, sometimes months at a time, going over each and every detail until the store was finally ready to open.

He left for London tomorrow. The grand opening and launch of the new line was in four days' time. He was consumed with it, planning every little detail.

He had no idea what he would do once the store opened and everything fell into place. It was the only project that kept him from obsessing over the one thing he couldn't have no matter how much he tried, no matter how much he wanted.

Tessa.

”I'm not ready to give up,” Alex finally said, earning an eye roll from Hunter. ”And neither can you. You owe me.”

Hunter had turned him against Tessa. It was his d.a.m.n fault she was gone.

Easier that way, blaming Hunter for everything rather than face his cruel words and actions toward her.

”I don't owe you s.h.i.+t. You just insist I do.” Hunter paced Alex's office. The overall vibe at Worth had changed substantially, first with Tessa's dismissal, 162 then with Stephen's discovered betrayal. Employees knew to leave the Worth brothers alone, to give them a wide berth for fear they would snap at any moment's notice.

Their anger and frustration over the mistakes they'd made had taken over their entire demeanor. Not ready to deal with the simmering anger his brothers were filled with, Rhett had fled. Headed out to the west coast where he pretended to run the Worth Luxury store location in Beverly Hills.

Everyone knew his store manager position was a front. He really spent all of his time fooling around, spending money, s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g women and partying. Rhett Worth had no plans in growing up any time soon, much to Alex's eternal disappointment.

”You're leaving for London tomorrow?” Hunter already knew he was leaving. He was just making idle conversation.

Alex had no desire for small talk. Even a year later he was still p.i.s.sed at his brother. Completely irrational, he knew this but couldn't help it. ”I am, though I'm not sure when I'll be back.”

”You don't know how long you'll stay?”

”No. But everyone is in capable hands as long as you're in charge, correct?”

”Of course. But I'm just the marketing guy. You run everything and make sure it's all going smooth.”

”You're more than just the 'marketing guy' and you know it. I won't be there longer than a few weeks, a month at the absolute most.” Alex tore his gaze from the cityscape to study his brother. ”I can't stand being here for too long. I get- antsy.”

”You never had a problem before.”

”That was before I fired her.” He would torture himself for the rest of his days if he had to. He couldn't let it go.

163.

Didn't want to let it go.

Hunter sighed. ”It's been a year, Alex. You need to stop beating yourself up.”

”I won't stop until I find her. So I can tell her I'm sorry.” So he could tell her he was wrong.