Page 47 of Executive Privilege

I know Hartwell—a tech company whose marketing campaign launched three months ago to great success. What kind of emergency could have developed overnight?

"What's the issue?"

Nicholas pauses in his paper gathering, and for the first time, he looks directly at me. "They received an anonymous tip that their campaign strategy was leaked to competitors before launch."

"What? Leaked how?"

"Industrial espionage. Someone with access to confidential information sold the strategy to competing agencies."

My mouth goes dry. Industrial espionage. Leaked information. Anonymous tips. It couldn't be from here, the way he has this place locked up.

"Nicholas—"

"I have to go," he says, standing abruptly. "Hartwell's board is meeting in an hour, and if I can't prove Event Horizons had nothing to do with the leak, we'll lose a multi-million-dollar account."

"Let me help. I can review the security protocols, check access logs—"

"No." The word comes out so sharp it startles me. "This is something I need to handle personally."

"Because you don't trust anyone else with sensitive information?"

The question stops him mid-stride toward the door. When he turns to look at me, there's something almost desperate in his expression.

"Because I can't afford to be wrong about who I trust again."

The admission hangs between us, loaded with implications about more than just client security. This isn't really about Hartwell Industries. It sounds somehow personal to him. Maybe I was right that it wasn't just his babysitter who let him down in his past.

"Nicholas, you know I would never—"

"Do I?" he asks quietly. "Three days ago, I told you things I've never told anyone. Personal things. Vulnerable things. And now there's a security breach involving confidential client information."

The accusation hits like a slap. "You think I leaked Hartwell's strategy?"

"I think the timing is suspicious."

"The timing of what? Me caring about you and industrial espionage? You think those are connected?"

"I think I've made this mistake before."

The words are barely above a whisper, but they cut deeper than shouting would have. Because now I understand what's really happening. It's finally clicked into place. This is about Victoria Sterling.

Office gossip doesn't exclude the boss. Frankie, Jennifer, Marcus, and Angie have all hinted to me about a woman named Victoria being the reason security is what it is, but they never hinted at a relationship between them. Or maybe I didn't want to make the connection for my own reasons.

"I'm not her," I say firmly.

"Her?"

"Whoever she was. The woman who hurt you so badly that you live in a hotel and assume anyone who cares about you is planning to betray you."

Nicholas goes very still. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do. Someone used your feelings against you. Someone you trusted. And now you're so terrified of it happening again that you'd rather push away anyone who might actually care about you." I'm guessing at all of this, but it sounds right.

"This isn't about—"

"This is entirely about her. You're not seeing me when you look at me right now. You're seeing her."

Nicholas's jaw tightens. "You don't know anything about my past relationships."