“Of course I do,” she peals loudly, her eyes wide and wild as she steps closer to me, her scent invading my nose and confusing my thoughts even more. “You might not be as vile as Jenson, but you two have similar end goals. You both have that entrepreneurial drive to expand and grow and get bigger and more powerful. That represents everything I hate, Max. Everything that screws over employees and put me in a hospital. I knew that side existed in you, but I’ve been shielding myself from that part of you so it wouldn’t change how I feel about you.”
A pressure builds in my chest at the insane words she’s spewing. She’s saying that my career—my life—is something she can’t stand to even hear about. I know what happened to her was horrific, but this is a giant boundary that I had no idea she placed between us.
“Cassandra, my company is important to me. And I’m fucking proud of it and my employees,” I state, my voice firm. “If you’re saying you don’t respect what I do, then we have a serious problem here.”
“Maybe we do,” she huffs defensively. “Because if Fletcher Industries is becoming partners with All-Out Properties who put profit over people, then it won’t be long before you’re just as toxic as he is.”
Her tone is scathing and unapologetic. It causes my lips to curl up in disgust. How could she think so little of me? After everything I’ve shared with her. It’s like she doesn’t even fucking know me.
I exhale heavily. “You’re prosecuting me before I even commit a crime.”
“Am I?” She laughs, and her face twists in pain as she wraps her arms around herself. “You flew me to Aspen on a company jet for a date. You paid a designer who knows how much money for this dress. None of that was for business, Max. That was you living the high life. That’s shit Jenson would do. That’s corporate greed.”
“That you fucking enjoyed,” I roar, thrusting my hands through my hair and taking a step away from her. “I’m not going to feel bad for enjoying what I’ve worked hard to earn. Being this successful is what makes it possible for us to raise over a million dollars in scholarship for marginalized kids tonight.”
Her eyes fill with tears as she replies quickly, “But being at your level of success puts you in boardrooms next to greedy assholes like Jenson Hunsberger. What do you think will happen to you if you associate with someone like him on a regular basis?”
I look away in disgust. “There are greedy assholes in all socioeconomic brackets, Cassandra. You’re a smart girl, you should know that much.”
She inhales sharply. “And you sound just like him, Mr. Fletcher.”
I jerk back, feeling like she just slapped me. I move toward her to touch her, to apologize for my words, but she holds her hands up to stop me.
Tears fall down her face when she adds, “This is the last time I let any man in power have control over my mental health.”
My chest heaves with anxiety as I make a beeline back into the event center to get my cell phone so I can call a Lyft and get as far away from this night as I can. What started out as a night full of hope and dreams of the future and charity has quickly turned into my worst nightmare.
I swipe quickly at my cheeks, trying hard to fight the pain that’s enveloping me over the words I just exchanged with Max. We were doing so good. We had compartmentalized our lives so perfectly. I spent my days with Everly, and he spent his at the office. When we came together at night, neither of us discussed our work. We discussed literally everything but work. It was perfect. That balance in Max made me think this could be real between us. We could actually be happy together and not consumed by our vast differences. How could I be so blind?
Him partnering with Jenson of all people? The man whose name I can’t even say without shuddering. That is not something I can overlook.
I steel myself as I approach my former boss who’s still sitting at the table. Paisley lifts her hand to me with a small smile, but I ignore her, jutting my chin high and moving past her and Jenson with determination to grab my phone and handbag off the table. My eyes connect briefly with Wyatt’s that are full of so much concern, it makes my chin tremble.
Grabbing my bag and phone, I turn to leave before the waterworks start when a clammy hand wraps tightly around my elbow, sending chills down my spine. “What are you saying about me out there to Max?” Jenson’s voice is like nails on a chalkboard, bringing me back to the nights when his voice haunted my dreams.
“Nothing,” I snap, pulling my head back for some space away from Jenson’s putrid breath. I try to jerk my arm out of his hold, but his grip only tightens more.