I didn’t think I could hurt anymore than I did, but in that moment, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. “The fact that you’re not fired for accusing me of hurting her company suggests that she must believe you too.”
Maybe my mistake was in trying to forge my own path. In doing so, in the way I did it, I’d made it so my own grandmother didn’t trust me.
“No. She’s suspicious of Chen. Like you are.”
“But not you.” I sat down, feeling so fucking tired.
“He said you’re too good to not have found the entryway that let the hacker in. He knew you didn’t want to be in the business, and yet here you were. He said you’re taking revenge for al
ways being dismissed.”
I laughed because I didn’t know what else to do. “I guess he’s got it all figured out.” I was glad I brought the bottle of scotch with me so I didn’t have to get up to pour more. In fact, I drank straight from the bottle.
“You’re not going to respond?” she asked.
“Why? What could I possibly say that would change your mind?”
“The truth?”
I shrugged. “If you think I’m a man that would do what you just accused me of, then how could you possibly believe me?”
“I want to hear what you have to say.”
I shook my head. “I don’t owe you anything.”
My phone rang. It was a video call from my grandmother. “I wonder what she’ll say.” I picked up the phone. “Gran.”
“I’ve got your brothers on the call with me. What’s going on there? Have you spoken to Andi?”
“Oh yeah, I’ve spoken to her,” I said, giving her a cutting glare.
“Are you drinking?” Ryan asked.
I set the bottle aside. “It’s nearly nine at night. Having a drink isn’t a crime.”
“Is something wrong?” Carter asked.
I had to get my shit together. “Chen is behind the hack.” I looked at Andi again to see how she’d respond. Would she still believe him over me? “I went to see him and basically admitted it.”
She flinched.
“What did he say?” Gran asked.
“He wanted to buy my share of the company and then said we could go into business together,” I said.
“He’s not as smart as we thought he was if he thought you’d betray us like that,” Carter said.
His words were the first balm on an open wound I’d had since Andi walked in.
“I should have vetted him better,” Carter finished.
“He’s slick,” I said. “He can convince anyone of anything,” I said, feeling somewhat triumphant when Andi turned away. I wanted to believe she felt shame.
“What’s his deal though? What does he get?” Hunter asked.
“There has been some devaluation of the company's worth,” Ryan said. “I contacted the lawyers earlier about getting out of the contract after our last call.”
“He offered me a job,” Andi said.