The Long Game (Long Game, #1)(118)

So he knew. This bastard.

This bastard. That was exactly what Cameron would have said. I’d even heard the words uttered by his voice in my head. If he was here he would—

No.

I let out a bitter laugh that soon morphed into something that sounded a lot like the start of a sob. I’d been doing that a lot today. Almost sobbing. Almost breaking. Almost calling Cameron. Almost texting Josie to beg her to apologize to the girls for me. Almost letting myself feel like I was making a mistake.

The stoic man in front of me frowned.

“Listen,” I said slowly, squaring my shoulders, lifting my chin. “I know it’s late, and it’s clear you’re just doing your job here. I applaud and thank you for that. But this is an emergency, and I know my father is here. He’s always here and his driver is right outside.” I looked at him, straight in the eye. Begging, pleading. “You need to let me through.”

He hesitated. Looked around. But then he shook his head. “I’m not going to be able to do that, Miss Reyes.”

I closed my eyes, refusing to break in front of this man.

I couldn’t believe I wasn’t being let into the place I’d worked my entire adult life. I couldn’t believe I couldn’t go into the place I had hoped for so long to own one day. I couldn’t believe my father hadn’t answered his phone any of the times I’d called. Not even once. I—

“Boss?”

My eyelids lifted, seeing a face I wasn’t expecting to be here at this time.

“I can’t believe it’s you,” Kelly continued, her heels clicking in my direction. “Whoa, what’s with the glow-up? You’re slaying the runway, boss. And the hair. Oh my God, your hair is all wild and… beautiful.”

For an instant, I looked down, taking in my jeans, boots, and overall practical wear. Then I shook my head. “Kelly,” I said, my eyes finding hers with enough gravity to make her blink. “Can you please let…”

“Billie,” the man said when I looked at him. “Ellis.”

Kelly looked over at him. “Really?”

Billie sighed. “I’m fifteen years her senior, ma’am. And the resemblance to her name is purely coincidental.”

“That is hilarious,” Kelly murmured, inspecting him and not even cracking a smile. “Are you new here?” Billie’s mouth bobbed, clearly surprised. “You’re cute. What’s your handle, not-really-billie-ellis or something like that?” She whipped out her phone. “I would—”

“Kelly,” I called, my voice desperate and tired and… hopeless, if I had to pick. “Can you explain to Mr. Ellis that I need to get through so I can deal with that emergency we talked about on the phone?” She blinked at me. “He seems to believe that my access has been revoked, but I very clearly remember being asked by my father to come here. Today.” I made a face at her. “You remember, right?”

My former assistant started nodding slowly. “Ohhhhhhh. Right. Yes.” Her head turned around, searching the empty hall, before returning her attention to us. “The emergency,” she said more confidently. “Billie, do you want to be the guy who didn’t let the big boss’s daughter in during the”—she lifted her hands, slicing the air—“major-est crisis of the year?”

Billie frowned, but some pink spread across his cheeks.

“Exactly,” Kelly agreed. “That’s not a great look, is it?” Billie shook his head. “Great. Now, open the barrier so she can save the day.” She placed a hand on her hip. “Unless you think a woman can’t be the hero. Is that what we’re dealing with here?”

“Wh—What?” His eyes widened. “No. I am a feminist.”

She gave him a grin. “Barrier, please?”

It took him a few seconds and a curse but the glass gate that granted access to the office area opened up.

I sprinted through the hallway in the direction of my father’s office, hearing Kelly’s heels following behind.

“Boss?” She called, and when I didn’t turn or stop, she sped up. “Whoa. You run fast in those things.” I did. I might be starting to love my boots. “I’m so sorry I kinda cold-shouldered you, but I really had no choice—”

“That’s okay, Kelly,” I assured her, turning a corner.

“Okay, phew,” she answered, now a little breathlessly. “Now that that’s out of the way, there’s something you should know before—”

“I know,” I interjected, speeding up. “And I’m going to stop this some way or another.”

“But, Boss, they’re…”

I reached the door, vaguely aware of Kelly setting a hand on my shoulder and saying something, but I was not wasting a second more. I’d let this go on long enough. I was taking back control and putting a stop to David’s manipulation. I was telling my father I knew everything and stopping the transaction. I threw open the door.

Two heads turned in my direction.

“Adalyn,” my father said in a shockingly calm and cold voice that made me pause.

I opened my mouth to say something, any of the things that I’d rehearsed in my head, but all I could think of was What’s David holding in his hands? Because that couldn’t be—