24 Chapter 24 – A Reluctant Defender and A Shocking Talent
I stiffened as Nathaniel’s cold gaze swept from his nephew to me. Great, just what I needed–my fake husband witnessing this mess. But before either of us could speak, a third voice cut through the tension.
“What the hell is going on here?”
Miles Finch appeared at the end of the aisle, arms crossed and face set in a scowl. His eyes narrowed as he took in the scene–Liam still hunched over, Nathaniel rigid with barely contained fury, and me backed against the bookshelf.
Liam recovered quickly, straightening up with a grimace. “Just having a chat with our newest jemployee. In fact, I was about to tell her she’s being transferred to my department.”
“Is that so?” Miles’s voice was flat.
Nathaniel remained silent, watching the exchange with calculating eyes.
“She’ll be more useful under my supervision,” Liam continued smoothly. “Data entry is clearly
beneath her talents.”
“And what talents would those be?” Miles asked, his tone dripping with skepticism.
Liam smirked. “That’s what I intend to find out.”
The innuendo wasn’t subtle. I opened my mouth to object, but Miles beat me to it.
“Request denied,” he said firmly.
Liam’s smile faltered. “Excuse me?”
“She’s assigned to my division. She stays there.”
I blinked in surprise. Miles Finch–the man who’d dismissed me just hours ago–was
me?
defendin
“Come on, Miles,” Liam coaxed. “We both know she’s only here because of her connections. Why burden your team with nepotism hires?”
A muscle twitched in Miles’s jaw. “That’s my pro
to deal with,”
you
“I’m sure I could make it worth your while,” Liam pressed. “Didn’t wanting to meet
Dr. Emma Bella? I have contacts at her lab.”
I froze. Dr. Emma Bella was my secret identity. If Liam somehow arranged a meeting…
Miles hesitated, and my heart sank. Of course he’d take that deal. Who wouldn’t?
“Not interested,” Miles finally said, surprising me again.
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24 Chapter 24–A Reluctant Defender and A Shocking Talent
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Liam’s friendly facade slipped. “You’re passing up a chance to meet your idol? For her?” He jerked his chin toward me.
Miles shrugged. “I don’t make staffing changes based on bribes. Now, if you’ll excuse`us, Mrs. Ricardo has work to do.”
He gestured for me to follow him. I stepped around Liam, avoiding Nathaniel’s intense stare as`I passed.
“This isn’t over,” Liam muttered as I walked away.
Miles led me down the hallway in silence. Once we were safely away, he stopped abruptly.
“Let me be clear,” he said, turning to face me. “I didn’t do that for you. I did it because I won’t let anyone–not even a Ricardo–dictate how I run my division.”
“Understood,” I replied coolly. “Thank you anyway.”
/
He snorted. “Don’t thank me. I still think you’re underqualified and overpaid.”
With that, he stormed off, leaving me alone in the corridor. I let out a long breath, my shoulders sagging with relief. At least I wouldn’t have to work directly under Liam.
“You handled that well.”
I jumped. Nathaniel was leaning against the wall behind me, hands in his pockets. How long had
he been standing there?
“Were you planning to step in at any point?” I asked, unable to keep the edge from my voice.
“You seemed to have things under control.” His eyes lingered on my face. “Nice knee strike, by the way. Effective!”
I felt heat rise to my cheeks. “You saw that?”
“I saw enough.” His expression grew serious. “Liam won’t give up easily. Be careful.”
“I can handle myself.”
“Clearly.” A ghost of a smile touched his lips. “But my grandmother would be upset if anything happened to her favorite daughter–in–law.”
“Is that why you’re here? Grandmother duty?”
“Actually, I came to remind you about lunch. She’s waiting”
I glanced at my watch and groaned. “I lost track of time.”
“I noticed.” He gestured toward the elevator. “Shall we?”
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24 Chapter 24 – A Reluctant Defender and A Shocking Talent
Lunch with Nathaniel was awkward at best. We sat across from each other in his private dining room, picking at expensive food neither of us seemed interested in eating.
“Your grandmother couldn’t make it?” I finally asked.
“She wasn’t feeling well.” He took a sip of water. “Her doctor advised rest.”
“Oh.” I pushed a piece of salmon around my plate. “I hope she feels better soon.”
“She will.” He watched me for a moment. “You’re actually concerned about her.”
It wasn’t a question, but I answered anyway. “Of course I am. She’s been kind to me.”
“Unlike the rest of the family?”
I met his gaze. “You said it, not me.”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “I overheard something interesting this morning.”
that?”
“What’s that?”
“If Nathaniel Ricardo thinks I’ll crumble under his intimidation tactics, he’s in for a surprise.” He quoted my earlier words perfectly. “Brave words from someone who fled his office in a panic.”
I nearly choked on my water. “I didn’t flee. I had work to do.”
“Hmm.” His eyes glinted with amusement. “And how is that work going? Enjoying the library?”
“It’s quiet. I can think there.”
“And argue with my nephew, apparently.”
I set down my fork. “That wasn’t my fault.”
“I didn’t say it was.” His expression turned serious again. “Liam has always been possessive of things he believes should belong to him.”
“I don’t belong to anyone,” I said sharply.
“Precisely my point.”
We lapsed into silence again. I couldn’t read his expression, but something had shifted between us. The antagonism was still there, but there was something else too–a grudging respect, perhaps.
I finished my meal quickly and stood. “Thank you for lunch, but I should get back to work.”
He nodded. “Of course. Don’t let me keep you from your… data entry.”
The way he said it made me think he didn’t believe that’s what I was doing for a second, but I didn’t take the bait. I simply turned and walked out, feeling his eyes on my back the entire time.
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24 Chapter 24–A Reluctant Defender and A Shocking Talent
When I returned to Miles’s department, Mason intercepted me at the door.
“There you are,” he said. “Miles wants you to start with this.” He handed me a file. “Basic algorithm optimization. Should keep you busy for a few weeks.”
I glanced through the file. It was child’s play–I could solve this in my sleep.
“Thanks,” I said, taking the work to an empty desk.
Mason lingered. “Look, don’t take Miles personally. He’s just… protective of the team.”
“It’s fine.” I booted up the computer. “I’m used to proving myself.”
He nodded awkwardly and left me to my work.
I smiled to myself as I opened the file. If they wanted to test me, I’d give them a test right back.
Thirty minutes later, I walked up to Mason’s desk and handed him the completed work. “Done.
What’s next?”
He stared at me, then at the file. “That’s… not possible. This would take at least a month to optimize properly.”
“Check it,” I suggested. “I think you’ll find the algorithm runs forty percent faster now.”
While Mason reviewed my work with increasingly wide eyes, I noticed Miles watching from his office, his expression unreadable.
“This is…” Mason trailed off, running the simulation again. “How did you do this?”
I shrugged. “Just a different approach to the problem.”
Miles emerged from his office. “Problem?”
“No problem,” Mason said. “She finished the algorithm. All of it. And it works perfectly.”
Miles’s eyes narrowed. “Let me see.”
After reviewing my work, he turned to Mason. “Give her your current project.”
“But that’s-”
“Just do it.”
Mason hesitantly handed me his files. “This is a bit more complex. It’s a technical block we’ve been trying to solve for weeks.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” I said, returning to my desk.
One hour later, I placed the solution on Mason’s desk. The entire team had gathered around now, watching as he ran the diagnostics.
“It works,” he whispered, looking at me with something between awe and suspicion. “How the
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24 Chapter 24 – A Reluctant Defender and A Shocking Talent
hell did you solve this?”
Miles pushed through the crowd. “Enough games. If she’s as good as she seems to be…” He pointed to a sealed folder on his desk. “Give her that. The core problem. The one none of us
have cracked for a month.”
The room went silent. Mason retrieved the folder with something like reverence.
“If you can solve this,” Miles said, placing it before me, “then maybe—just maybe–you deserve to
be here.”
I opened the folder and began reading, aware that every eye in the room was on me. This would either prove my worth or expose me completely.
The stakes couldn’t be higher, and oddly enough, I was enjoying every second of it.
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