Chapter 33: Damon

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The only reason why I'm not telling these board members to fuck-off is because I believed Drew earlier. But there's still a nagging voice in my head telling me something's off.

It's nearing five, and I'm itching to get out of here. But the board is primarily old men, who all enjoy lingering over the conference room tables.

"So, Damon, I hear you're about to be a father." Great, if we start talking about personal lives, I'm never getting out here.

"Yes, any day now." I keep my response short, hoping that will keep us from completely getting off course.

"And did I hear right that the mother is your secretary?" Fucking prick. I look over at the board member, a crusty old fart whose time on the board is limited. He has this smug look like he just did something there. Little does he know that the majority of the board knows and doesn't care. He thinks he can jeopardize my ascent to CEO with this stunt. Instead, he's sealing the coffin on his forced departure.

"Well, Carl, we retired the term secretary about twenty years ago, so no. But to answer your question, yes, the mother of my kid works for this company, and she's damn good at it. I expect we'll see her rising through the ranks as she continues to excel at her work. Now, if there aren't any more report-related questions, I suggest we adjourn for the evening. I'll have your revisions added to the report and sent out by end-of-day Friday."

When no one pipes up, we officially close the meeting and file out of the room. Matt follows directly behind me, clapping me on the shoulder. "You handled that well." The praise eases the tension in my shoulders only slightly. I don't think I'll be able to relax fully until I get eyes on Drew.

"Thanks. He really thought he had me there. When can we officially invite him to leave?" I keep my voice low as we walk towards the stairs. We're only a few floors up, and taking the elevator with the other board members is unappealing.

Matt laughs, shaking his head as he opens the door to the stairwell. "He'll be gone before you're back from paternity leave. The rest of the board wants to wait until the new year; that way, he can't hold up any end-of-year activities on his way out." I nod. That makes sense, though I'm a little sad I won't get to see his face when he's pushed out.

We reach our floor, and I instantly feel like it's off. First, I notice that Drew's desk is empty, but that doesn't mean much. Sometimes she's in my office lying on one of the couches while she waits. But then I notice Allison hovering by the office door.

She's wringing her hands in front of her, and her expression looks distressed. Fuck.

Matt must sense the change because he follows me down the hall instead of going into his office. Allison waits until we're right in front of her to finally speak.

"First, I want you to know that I am very uncomfortable with this but Drew made me promise."

"How long ago?" It doesn't take a genius to know what she's talking about.

"Two hours? She said she was going to stop home first." Allison trails off as I start running for the elevators, punching the down button unnecessarily hard.

"Your car is at the curb, ready to take you! I don't know if this will make you feel better, but she seemed really calm." I turn to give her a tight smile; I know none of this is her fault.

"Thanks, Allison." I shift my gaze to Matt, who nods solemnly. The elevator arrives, and I jump in.

"I'll make the board packet revisions and ensure it's sent out by Friday. Don't worry about work; we're as ready as we can be. Enjoy this next chapter of fatherhood." I can only nod as the elevator doors close; my emotions are all over the place.

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