“Your family,” he repeats, his voice soft. “I suppose that’s what she’s always been, huh? But what I am?”
I shake my head. “Nothing,” I tell him. “From today onward, you’re nothing to me.”
Ryan straightens, remorse leaving his eyes lowered. “I’m sorry, Silas. I realized it the moment Alanna walked into your office with tears in her eyes. She looked at you, and it’s like I didn’t even exist. That’s when I realized that there’s no way that photo of you two could have been fake. I realized that I’d hurt you both, and I walked away hoping it wasn’t too late to right my wrongs.”
“But it was,” I say.
Ryan nods. “You were there for me throughout the years, doing more than you needed to, trying your hardest to make up for the time you missed. You tried to protect me from my mother, and I thanked you by hitting you where it hurt most. I really am sorry, Silas. Despite everything I put you through, you never gave up on me, and I’ll do the same. It may not have felt like it to you recently, but you’ve always been my hero. Maybe someday, you’ll believe that again. Until then, I’ll do what you’ve wanted me to do all along. I’ll work on becoming the person Dad would have wanted me to be.”
I nod at him, hoping he means his words. Maybe someday he and I can be on speaking terms again, but I don’t see myself forgiving him for the way he hurt Alanna. There is a lot I can forgive, but not that.
No one hurts my girl and walks away unscathed.
ChapterEighty-Two
Alanna
“Do you know why the boss called this meeting?” Jessica asks, her tone concerned. “He’s never called for such a large-scale meeting before.”
It took a while, but Jessica and I are on better terms now. It isn’t like before, where we’d grab coffees together and joke around, but at least things aren’t awkward between us anymore.
I shake my head as I follow her to the rooftop. Silas requested that every single Sinclair Security employee attend this meeting, but didn’t disclose what it’d be about. “I’m as clueless as you are.”
Jessica and I both frown when we see Silas standing in front of a large white screen, a microphone in his hands. His eyes find mine, and he smiles at me. What is going on? Normally he mentions even mundane work things to me, but this is catching me by surprise.
“Most of you must be curious about why you’re here, so let me address that first,” he says, his gaze roaming over the large crowd that has gathered. There must be hundreds of people standing here, all of us focused on Silas. “The prime purpose of this meeting is to address some rumors that have been spreading.”
He turns toward the screen and points a small remote at it, the screen lighten up with the wordsProject Sunshine.
“Ever since I founded this company, I’ve heard rumors about me starting this company because of a woman.” The crowd falls silent, and Silas looks around for a moment, as though he’s ensuring he’s got everyone’s attention. “Those rumors are true.”
Whispers erupt around us, excitement spreading across the crowd. Jessica looks at me with concern in her gaze, but I merely smile at her reassuringly before turning back to Silas.
Silas waits for the noise to die down before he speaks again. “Project Sunshine was Sinclair Security’s first official project, and as of today, I’m officially closing it.”
The slide behind him changes, revealing a photo of the two of us a few years ago, Silas’s arm wrapped around me. This photo must have been taken at the shelter shortly after we started dating. I can feel people turn toward me, whispering and pointing. It’s what they’ve done from the moment they found out about Silas and me, and it never gets any easier, but today it feels a little less malicious.
“Those of you who suspected that Project Sunshine was about a woman were right. The girl in this photo was the reason Sinclair Security was founded. She is the reason you all have a job today. Project Sunshine was named afterRay of Sunshine, a nickname I gave Alanna Jones many years ago. Five years ago, Alanna was in a car accident that resulted in her losing her memory. For five years, I searched for her. Last year, I finally found her. I haven’t spoken up about this before, because Alanna only recently regained her memory, but it’s time I put all the rumors to rest. That includes rumors about Alanna and me.”
He holds his hand out, and I hesitate before walking toward him, my heart racing as I place my hand in his. Silas entwines our fingers and holds onto me tightly, and I look up at him, unsure what he’s doing, andwhy. Why did he call this meeting?
“Most of you are aware that Alanna and I are dating, but none of you knew our story. Now, let me be clear, our private life is none of your business. The only reason I’m telling you about our past is so you have all the facts as you decide what to do next.”
Silas wraps his arm around me, his grip tight. “I’m aware some of you have been slandering my girlfriend, spreading rumors and subjecting her to workplace harassment. It seems you have forgotten that you work for a security firm, one filled with high-tech cameras and microphones. The only reason I’ve remained quiet as long as I have was so I could identify those of you who failed to adhere to our company’s policies.”
I watch as half the crowd reaches for their phones, several gasps breaking the silence.
“If we have identified you as slandering Alanna, you’ll have received a termination notice. You will not get a recommendation from me, and I strongly recommend you seek employment outside of the industry, because no company will take you after being fired from Sinclair Security.”
My stomach drops, and I look up at him wide-eyed. “Are you crazy?” I whisper.
Silas tips his head toward mine and smiles. “Yes,” he tells me. “So what?”
“You can’t do this, Silas. You can’t just fire people!”
“I knew you’d say that,” he tells me, sighing. “The world doesn’t deserve you, Alanna. These people hurt you and slandered you, and you still want to advocate for their jobs?”
I send him a pleading look. This will just alienate so many of his employees, and I suspect it’ll also tarnish his reputation in the industry. He’ll just be known as the guy who fired people because of his girlfriend. “I don’t care about them, Si. Please don’t do this, okay? This is unnecessary, and it’s crazy. You cannot just fire people over something like this. You’d better take back your words.”