“Thank you.” Olivia pulled herself up tall and headed for the office, heels tapping the tiles as she walked.
As she reached the door, Darius appeared in the opening, buttoning his suit jacket.
He smiled. “Olivia. To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?”
She drew in a breath and braced herself against the lure of those enticing dimples. “I need a word with you in private, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course. Come in.”
She entered an immaculate room dominated by a large desk. Framed artwork decorated the walls, while picture windows overlooked the cityscape below.
She took a seat in one of the guest chairs.
“I hope the plumber was able to fix the leak after I left.” Darius resumed his place behind the desk.
“He was. And he didn’t charge us for his time, seeing that he had failed to secure the pipe correctly in the first place.”
“That’s good news.” He leaned forward on his desk. “So, what brings you by Walcott Industries?”
Steeling herself against his appeal, she gave him a serious stare. “I need to ask you a question, and I’d like an honest answer.”
His dark brows rose, but he nodded. “Go ahead.”
She squeezed her hands around the handle of her purse. “Did you call in a complaint to the city in order to initiate an inspection of our home?”
His features froze. Then a tiny muscle in his jaw ticked. “Yes.” His gaze slid to the desktop, his expression pained.
Her back stiffened against the chair as disappointment shot through her. “Why would you do such a thing? You knew what caused the leak. There was no need to involve the city.” She pressed her lips firmly together to keep them from betraying her. How could he have been so helpful at the time, only to use their misfortune against them?
Yet why was she surprised? Had anyone in her life ever acted in her best interest?
No, they’d all done whatever they wanted, no matter how it affected her. Rory had left for the war, despite her repeated pleas to stay. Then, in her time of greatest need, her father had banished her, and her mother had sided with him. Not one person had ever put her needs first.
Why would Darius Reed be any different?
“I know it’s no excuse,” he said, “but my boss has assigned me the task of getting Mrs. Bennington to sell her house at any cost. I was trying to find the least . . . harmful way to go about that.” He gave a sheepish shrug. “I figured if the home failed an inspection, Mrs. Bennington might accept Mr. Walcott’s generous offer and open a facility somewhere else.”
Olivia drew in a shaky breath. “Did you ever once consider how that would affect the women living at Bennington Place? How upsetting it would be for everyone?”
He hung his head. “No, I didn’t.”
“Not only that, you pretended to be interested in the home when you were actually there as a spy. You lied to me—to all of us.” She rose on unsteady legs, attempting to corral her anger. “Bennington Place might be just a building to you, Mr. Reed, but to the women who live there, it’s their sanctuary. Their place of refuge when they have nowhere else to go. How could you be so cruel?” Despite her best efforts, her chin quivered. She blinked hastily and headed to the door. With her hand on the knob, she turned. “We will pass the inspection, Mr. Reed. And we will stay open.”
She marched out into the hallway, almost crashing into an attractive blond woman coming toward her.
“Olivia, wait.” Darius’s voice sounded behind her. “Please let me make it up to you.”
She rounded on him. “You can do that by leaving us alone.”
He came to an abrupt halt. His mouth opened, but no words came out.
Olivia jabbed the elevator button, relieved when the doors opened in front of her. She entered and quickly hit the button for the ground floor. When she looked up, all she saw was the anguish on Darius Reed’s face as the doors slid closed.
Darius punched his fist into the wall beside the elevators, self-loathing seeping through his pores. The hurt on Olivia’s face ripped through his insides like a blade.
She was right. He hadn’t been honest in his intentions, feigning interest in the home in order to find something he could possibly use to achieve his goal. He’d never fully considered the ramifications of shutting down the operation. He was only worried about obtaining the property for Walcott Industries and how that would benefit him.
He rubbed a hand over his face. How utterly selfish could he be?
“Darius? What on earth was that about?”
Meredith? In all the confusion, he hadn’t even noticed her. With supreme effort, he pushed back all the negative emotions and pasted on a neutral expression. “I’m sorry, Meredith. I didn’t see you there.” He walked over to kiss her cheek.
But she scowled at him. “Who was that woman? And why did she tell you to leave her alone?”
Stress beat a pounding refrain through his temple. “It’s a business matter. Nothing to worry about.” He took her by the elbow to guide her back to his office, away from the curious gazes of the receptionist and other staff members who’d come out to see what the commotion was about.
The tight press of her lips told him he would have to work hard to restore her good mood.
“That didn’t sound like a business problem,” she said as he closed his door. She crossed her arms, her forehead pinched. “It seemed personal to me.”
Darius released a breath. “Miss Rosetti is upset because Walcott Industries is trying to buy her property.” Not entirely accurate, but close enough. “Please ignore that unpleasant episode and tell me why you’re here.”
Mistrust still vibrating from her, Meredith perched on the edge of the chair Olivia had just vacated. Her mouth was pressed into a hard line, and her foot tapped an agitated
