Deception

Chapter Fifteen

Victoria

Michael didn't show up to work today. I don't know what I was expecting, but I'm glad he decided not to come. I don't think I could face him after what he tried to do to me. I hope I never have to see him again if I'm being honest.

"You got some more mail," Jane announces as she drops a pile of envelopes on my desk.

"Thank you." I smile even though I feel more like throwing up. More and more of these letters have been arriving and I don't know how to get them to stop.

She plops down dramatically in the chair in the corner of my office. "Are you not going to tell me who dropped you off in that smoking hot car? Or who got you that fancy phone you got?"

I shrug. "It was a friend." I try not to smile as I think of the very man in question.

"Well, that's one hell of a friend!" She exclaims. "I've never seen you smile as big as you did when you were coming in here! At first, I thought that it may have been Michael, but every time I see you look towards his office you look like you might throw up. What on earth is going on with you? Did your date not go well?"

"No, it didn't," I say. "The man dropping me off was Derek Tucker," I say coolly as if Derek was just some ordinary man giving me a ride.

My nonchalance has its intended effect as her mouth drops wide open and her eyebrows shoot up on her forehead. "The Derek Tucker? The hottest man in the city, Derek Tucker? The billionaire Derek Tucker?" She babbles excitedly.

I laugh. "Yes that Derek Tucker."

"O-M-G! I want all the details! You didn't tell me you were dating now!" She shrieks excitedly.

"Ah, that's kind of a long story," I say awkwardly as my mind flashes back to Michael.

"Hold on, aren't you writing an expose on him?" She asks.

I pause as I contemplate her question. "Yes, but it's all going to be okay. I just have to expose something about him or his family. No big deal." I shrug.

"And what do you think will happen when he finds an article written by you that exposes him and his family?"

I purse my lips as I think her question over. "Nobody said it had to be a negative expose. I could be writing a positive one."

My words fall flat between us. We both know this isn't true. Based on the criminal records that I found, I know that if I finish this expose it will be a negative one. Anything positive that I could expose has already been written about. That's all his family allows to be published.

"Well, do you have any leads? Maybe I can help since Michael isn't here today." She offers.

"Not really. I found a few petty crimes on their criminal records, and I have a working theory on his mom, but that's about it." I sigh and slump against the back of my chair.

"His sweet mother? Do tell." She says.

"Well, on the surface, she looks like the world's best mom. However, I'm working on a theory that that may be her flaw." I tell her.

"So her being a good mother is a bad thing?" She chuckles.

Well, when she says it like that it sounds ridiculous. "Well, she would do anything for her family right?" She nods. "How much do you want to bet that that includes covering up for them?"