He watched as her eyes widened, and she cleared her throat. “No, I don’t believe so. Where did you find it?”
“Well, that’s an interesting story. A good Samaritan apparently found it and after he or she opened it up and realized it belonged to this company. It was turned in yesterday evening to Ben. Quite lucky, really. To think what would’ve happened if any of this got into the wrong hands,” he said, tapping his fingers on it. “But, no matter. I have it back.”
She shifted in her chair, and he saw her hands curl around the arms of it. “Who was this person? Who turned it in?”
Riley shrugged. “Not sure. Ben met with her.”
“Her? It was a her?” she yelled.
“Is there a problem, dear?”
“No…no, of course not. I just wanted to know who it was so I could properly thank her.”
“Well, I’m afraid we will never know. Now then, I have a few meetings this afternoon with my lawyers. Changing a few accounts around and making sure that most of the company shares remain in my name. You understand, of course.”
Diane shook her head. “No, I’m afraid I don’t. What are you doing?”
“Well, that’s none of your damn business now, is it? Oh, and I think we might need to change the wedding plans, too,” he added, sitting in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. “Since you are currently screwing the competition.”
Diane’s face flushed as she jumped to her feet. “That little bitch! I knew it was her!”
Riley tried to keep his face blank. “Who?”
“She’s ruined everything! He must have told her about it—” She immediately clamped her lips shut, but Riley wasn’t going to let her off that easy.
“So you are having an affair with Yancey. Did you cheat on my grandfather, too?”
“No, I did not say anything,” she argued.
“You did, didn’t you? All those business trips—you were actually over in Yancey’s office getting what you wanted from him. What deal did you make with him, huh? What could you possible get from an arrogant bastard like him?”
“More than your grandfather ever gave me,” she yelled. “More than he ever let me have. Giving everything to you! I was his everything, and he was just going to leave every last bit of what really mattered to you!”
Riley stood slowly and leaned on his desk. “I am his blood.”
“I was almost his wife! So damn close to finishing this damn merger and then that damn woman had to stick her nose in it and take everything from me! She stole it from me, that traitorous little bitch.”
“Stole what?” Ben asked from the doorway.
“The damned laptop!” Diane slapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide as she glanced between Riley and Ben.
“This laptop,” Riley said as his anger boiled over. “That’s funny, I thought you never saw it before. You lying to your future husband now? And cheating on me?”
“No, that’s not what I said… No, I just…I have to get out of here and find…find…ah…”
“Shut up, you idiot!” Linda yelled from her desk.
Ben turned to glare at her, and Linda cursed and bolted from her desk. Two plainclothes cops charged out from behind a cubicle and grabbed her before she reached the stairwell.
“Get your hands off of me!”
“You’re under arrest for taking bribes and theft,” one of the cops said, quickly reading her rights. “I’m sure, once we get downtown, we’ll find a few more things to charge you with.” As they took her away, two more detectives went into Riley’s office and started to cuff Diane.
“Do you know who I am? Get your hands off of me!”
“Ma’am, I suggest you keep your mouth shut,” the detective on the left said as he thanked Riley for his assistance. “I have a feeling she’ll turn over her other associates once we get her in the tank.”
“The tank? You can’t put me in a holding cell! My lawyer will hear about this!”
“Yeah, yeah, that’s what all you rich women say. Mr. Marston, be seeing you.”
The detectives took both cuffed women to the elevator. Riley let out a breath, trying to release the last bits of his anger with it. One problem solved, but another still loomed overhead. He turned to ask Ben what he should do, but his friend wasn’t there. He glanced around and found him talking to a green-eyed woman, grinning from ear to ear.