Overlooked(1)(166)

Embarrassment coils its way around my heart and they freeze as they notice me, both of them still breathing heavily. For a moment, no one speaks, and no one moves.

Then I step outside of the apartment, “I’ll found evidence of your deception.” I glare at them both, “Your trust fund will be hearing about it shortly.”

I slam the door. This time, it clicks shut, and so does my heart.





CHAPTER FOURTEEN





CADE HARLOW





Ellen is running behind me, trying to keep up. For once, I don’t care that I am outstripping a lady in my stride. I don’t care about anything but getting to Adam’s office and tearing him to shreds.

How dare he come into Ellen’s apartment unannounced and then leave in a fit of rage when he finds us in proof of a relationship? I’m seething. No, it’s more than that. I am livid and I am more than ready to tear him to pieces. I curl my hands into fists and stare straight ahead. I probably should have taken a cab, this way works better.

I’m burning off energy that is thudding through my body, calming my pounding heart a little and settling my mind. I need to think clearly. I need to find out what proof he has and find a way to dispute it.

I will not let my whole world crumble to the ground just because he has jealously issues. My body and mind are on fire and I hear Ellen calling out, “Cade, wait! Be reasonable.”

I can’t be reasonable. I can’t stop until this is sorted out. I slam my hand into the elevator, the button blinking dully as I wait for it. Ellen catches up with me, sounding and looking breathless. I should be feeling guilty, but I don’t have it in me at the moment.

I know I should be calm, be reassuring Ellen, but right now, I just need to get this sorted. I need to tell Adam exactly what a bastard he is, in no uncertain terms. We step into the elevator and it closes behind us. Ellen turns to me. “Cade, you need to think about this,” she implores me.

“I have.” I answer shortly, “I’ve thought about how I am going to teach Adam Jones a lesson.”

She frowns and I can see the worry in her eyes. “Please don’t do anything rash.”

I shrug, “I’m not promising anything.”

She opens her mouth to argue, but the doors open quicker and I am out before she can say anything. I don’t knock on Adam’s door. I don’t wait. He sure as hell didn’t announce himself and I am not going to extend the courtesy to someone who just doesn’t deserve it. There is no chance of that happening.

I open the door and march straight in. He’s at his desk and for a moment, I feel my heart clench. He looks miserable. He looks downtrodden and dispirited in a way I have never seen him before. I almost reconsider myself. I almost stop myself long enough to ask if he is okay.

Then he is on his feet and the look has disappeared completely. Instead, he’s glaring at me angrily, “My office is not welcoming visitors.”

The way he says it, so professional and removed, stirs something within me, “Yeah? Well neither was Ellen’s apartment.”

I cross the space between us, nothing but the strip of desk wood keeping us apart.

“You need to get out, Cade.” He says, his voice shaking with barely contained rage.

“Yeah? Well that’s not going to happen.” I feel the tension race through me, making me feel almost sick. I relish it, slamming my hands onto his desk, “What proof were you talking about?” I grind the words out.

He smirks and it looks ugly and unfeeling, “Proof is proof.”

“What proof is it!?” I barely register the way I am raising my voice, the way my hands are absolutely itching to grab him by his tie and make him stop being so composed, so settled even as he tears my world apart.

I narrow my eyes, but he doesn’t so much as flinch, “That is between me and my client.”

“The trust fund that hired you to dig up dirt, right?” I tighten my jaw.

“I’m not at liberty to say.” He shrugs with indifference.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I stare at him. “Why do you enjoy tearing people down, huh? What did we do to you?”

“You’re a liar, Cade.” He says the words as he looks straight at me, “You deceive your family, you lie about your life. It’s not my fault your lie is crumbling around you.”

“A liar?” Something ugly rises inside of me, “I’m pretty sure you just saw damn good proof that me and Ellen are together.” I ask, “Are you just a sore loser?”

That strikes a chord with him. “Regardless of anything I did or didn’t see, you’ve been lying about this from the beginning. That’s all I need.”