Chapter 25
Bradley’s POV
Hearing Spencer say that Anna would have to put her plans for Fredericks Design Co. on hold indefinitely lifted a huge weight off my mind. I hadn’t figured out how to bring up that subject. without raising her suspicions and her hackles. That damn NDA, and the secret it’s making me keep, could end up ruining my future with Anna.
I couldn’t let that happen. Especially after last night and this morning. Anna was everything!
had ever hoped to find in a woman. Last night was amazing. I had never experienced anything
like it. Like her.
I couldn’t get enough of her. Even now, sitting here in this office with Spencer and Victor
present, I am having a hard time keeping my hands off of her. It’s like I’m addicted to her, not
just physically but in every way. Her smile, her laugh, her touch, her care.
I have to find a way to let her know what is going on. The only way I can think to do that,
without breaching the NDA, is to subtly make suggestions. Because even though I personally
I
can’t tell her anything, other people may be able to. I have to use that knowledge to my
advantage, starting now.
“That’s a valid point, Red. Not taking anything away from your mother, but it does make one
wonder why a man who was in an established relationship with one woman, with whom he
had a child, would marry another woman that was just starting out in her own business. It
really doesn’t make sense. Especially since he continued the relationship with the first
woman. Makes you wonder about his motivation?”
Thankfully Victor picked up on what I was attempting to do. He has been a long time part of
the team that has been keeping an eye on Anna. He doesn’t know all of the secret, but he
knows enough. He knows I have been trying to find a way around the NDA.
“Yeah, that’s just plain weird. Has anyone ever looked into that woman’s background? | mean, I
can’t imagine any woman being okay with her man, the father of her child, keeping her as a side piece while marrying another woman and fathering a child with her. Why would she agree to that? Did she and Alan know something about your mother? Something that made her a target?”
Spencer sat back and didn’t offer an opinion. He was well aware of the NDA, since he was t
the
one that had drawn it up. He too had been forced to sign one. He was as frustrated as I was with how it impeded our ability to protect Anna and the rest of the Graystone ‘treasure‘. But like me, his hands were tied. All he could do was try to guide her actions through his advice.
Chapter 25
Anna looked stunned. She is a brilliant woman, and this may be the first time she had allowed her thoughts to follow this line of thinking I could literally see her come to the correct conclusions. She pulled out her cell phone, found a contact, and began to text furiously. The expressions that moved across her face told a story of their own
I could almost be sure she was texting Sean, the head investigator with Graystone Security. I had no doubt that right now, she was instructing him to do an indepth background check on Lydia Fredericks. Where she came from, her maiden name, who she was related to. And what she possibly stood to gain by not only allowing, but encouraging Alan Fredericks to marry another woman and have a child with her.
Meanwhile, I’m supposed to sit back and wait, and worry about the safety of the woman I love? I don’t think so. I am going to do absolutely everything I can to protect her. Even if I have to breach that damn NDA.
Anna’s POV
Listening to Bradley, then Victor’s comments gave me the impression they were trying to tell me something without actually telling me what they wanted me to know. Bradley had said there were things going on that he couldn’t tell me about. Does that mean that legally he can’t tell me? Such as in an NDA? I know breaching an NDA can result in heavy financial penalties. and punitive legal action. If that were the case, I wouldn’t ask him to breach a legal contract.
But the logical part of my brain knows that information can be conveyed in a way that doesn’t
and Victor are doing. Making seemingly
breach an NDA. I think that is exactly what Bradley
off hand comments that create questions in my mind.
Questions about my parent’s marriage, and about it’s abrupt dissolution, and me being whisked away to live with my grandparents. Those questions seemed to dislodge a memory that until now had been burried deep in my subconscious.. It was something I had heard my mother and grandmother talking about the first week I went to live with my grandparents. Something about not trusting an estranged family member or her daughter. To not tell anyone. where I was. That Lydia must somehow know, or suspect, Iris’s true identity and mom had to be very careful.
my
Was Lydia somehow connected to my mother? Not through Alan Fredericks, but through mother’s side of the family? I know who can find out. I whipped out my cell phone, found Sean’s contact info, and started typing out a text message to him. I asked him to conduct a very detailed background check on Lydia Fredericks and Alan Fredericks. Where they came from, who their parents are, who they are related to for at least three generations either by birth or marriage. I wanted absolutely everything on those two. As an afterthought I asked him to do the same on Fiona, and Adam Rivers. I finished my text and hit send.
Chapter 25
Putting my phone back in my purse, I looked up to see all three men watching me, curiousity
etched on their faces. Rather than satisfy that curiousity, I went in a different direction.
“I am certain that after the meeting this afternoon that the st is going to hit the fan. Adam,
Fiona, and Alan are going to have to hand over any company owned electronics and I will have
IT lock them out of the system immediately. I will make sure that I leave the office at least fifteen minutes before security escorts them from the building, as I don’t want to chance them
following me.”
The men were nodding in agreement, seeing the sense in what I was saying.
“Tonight and tomorrow is already busy, what with our dinner with Jenna, and then getting the house cleared out tomorrow. But sometime this weekend I have to review all the security footage starting when each of those women were hired. According to their interviews, he only approached them in his office, so that will be helpful.
If what they say is substantiated by the security footage, I will need to meet with each one of them with legal. They will keep their jobs, and we will have to work out some form of compensation. Adam will be fired with cause, and if the women so wish, s****| harrassment charges will be filed against him.”
“Alan will be removed permanently from the Board, and the stipend immediately stopped. I will have to review Fiona’s interview and her performance audit to determine if I have enough legal cause to fire her with cause.” I sighed. I had a tremendous amount of work to do over the next
several dayss
“Anna, after what I read of her interview, and looking at the audit, you have more than enough. evidence to fire her with cause.” Spencer interjected. “I’m not sure why your HR department never advised you of the number and severity of her infractions, but she should have been. terminated long ago. We need to get to the bottom of that a.s.a.p.”
A knock on the office door prevented any further discussion as Spencer hollered, “come in“. His wife, Jill, entered the room simply glowing with excitement. And the glow of pregnancy!
I jumped up to greet her. I hadn’t seen her in ages, and didn’t even know she was pregnant until now. “Jill, you look amazing! Spencer didn’t mention you were expecting, though granted, we have been in deep business discussions.” I gave her a hug, and asked, “when are you due?”
“I have another three and a half months to go, so mid–December or thereabouts.” She walked over to her now standing husband and gave him a hello kiss. “Hector has our luggage packed in the limo. He wanted me to let you all know that he is ready to leave when you are.”
“I think it’s safe to say we can head out now.” Spencer suggested as he shut down his computer, locked his file cabinets and desk drawers. “I am definitely ready to get this show on
3/4
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the road.
©
Within minutes we were all out of the office and seated in the limo, on our way to the airport. Traffic was manageable we were at the airport and the private jet gate and boarded by twelve–thirty. Fortunately we were granted immediate clearance to take off and had a tailwind, meaning we would land in Halifax sooner than expected.
That turned out to be a blessing in disquise.
