Faing Game

Chapter 17

Olivia

I couldn't keep the stupid giddy smile off my face. Lanie had joined me for lunch and we sat at the table in my office eating takeout and gabbing about my change of heart. All my obsessive worrying about Grayson, pushing him away and keeping him at arm's length had been for nothing. He was everything Lanie told me he was, and sure he was still human, which meant the capacity for mistakes, but so was every man.

"So really? In the park?" Lanie snickered like a schoolgirl as she shoved her egg roll into her mouth and took a bite. Bits of the filling dribbled from her chin and she used a napkin to wipe it up as she waited for my response. I finished chewing first.

"Yes... In the park, after hours." I had told her about it earlier but we got sidetracked in our conversation when I let it slip that I was definitely in love with him. She gushed over it and congratulated me, and we talked about how I hadn't yet confessed my love to him. I wanted to sit with the idea of it for a while before I just blurted it out.

"Lord, child. Even Ian and I aren't that crazy." Lanie smiled. "I'm happy for you. And I'm glad you took my advice and gave him a shot."

I was glad I took her advice too, though I had done it very begrudgingly and against my better judgment. I had a hard time letting things go, especially if they involved hurting someone I loved. Probably a defense mechanism from childhood when my father walked out on my mom and I watched how badly it hurt her. Seeing people I loved hurting was hard because there was nothing I could do to fix it. What Grayson did was unacceptable, but not life-ending.

"So do you want to come over for dinner sometime? You two, I mean." Now it was getting real. Lanie inviting me and Grayson to a couples' dinner meant I was in an actual serious relationship. Yes, Ian and I had been dating for months but most of it was fake. I'd smile for the cameras and we'd bicker in the car. We'd only had a few real dates and other than Grayson's movement toward me, there had been no real relationship progress. Again, my fault.

It was easy to pretend when I was around strangers. Being around my best friend and her fiancé meant no more pretense. Grayson would know I was honest when I told him I wanted to see where this went. And when I told him I loved him too, I wanted him to know it was the truth.

"Okay, well you have Ian ask Grayson then," I told her and I looked up as my office door swung open and Ethan barged in followed by Adam.

"Liv, we need to talk." Ethan walked up to me with purpose and dropped a tabloid on the table in front of me. The same picture of me and Grayson that Victor had balked at was splattered on the cover and I rolled my eyes without reading the headline.

"Why are you throwing that at me? Victor already bit my head off. I got the facial expression under control, okay?" I shoved a bite of rice into my mouth and heard Lanie suck in a breath.

As I chewed I watched her facial expression contort and she snatched up the paper and folded it in half as Adam tried to take it away from her. "No, guys. This is just garbage. Take it out." Lanie was upset, acting defensive, and I felt like I had missed something.

"Lanie, this isn't something she can just ignore. This is going to hit Dating Game hard. She's the CEO. We can't build a bubble around her. Lies or not, she has to be a part of damage control." Adam reached in and grabbed the paper and thrust it into my face, and Lanie's scowl turned to a grimace.

"What is it?" I asked after swallowing. Now I felt a little panicked too. Whatever it was, it was bad enough my best friend felt the need to protect me from it. My gut knotted and I looked up at Adam with apprehension as I took the paper.

"Look for yourself," Ethan grumbled and he slumped onto the chair across from me. "The board is going to be furious. This is a disaster."

I unfolded the paper to see the picture again. It was an awful picture of me, but even worse the headline was damaging, and hurtful. It screamed "Olivia Bennett is stupid" and shattered the bubble I'd been carefully crafting. It read: "Millionaire Grayson Thorne Seeks Hostile Takeover of Dating Game."

The article went on to say Grayson had only started dating me to manipulate me into giving him user data and a lot of other harsh accusations that I wanted to forget I'd even read. Because they'd been the same worries I had from the beginning. Lanie's hand touched mine but I kept reading the trash. This tabloid was one of the most unbelievable papers out there. No one ever trusted it and they never had good sources.

So why was I even reading it? Why even give a split second of my attention to it, except that maybe they were right and my initial suspicions of Grayson's motives were correct. Maybe Lanie was wrong. Maybe I just got my heart broken again and this time it was my fault for not trusting my gut.

"We need to call the board." Ethan took the paper from me and I licked my dry lips and nodded blankly, avoiding Lanie's pleading gaze. She'd still defend him; that much was true.

"Yes. go..."

I got up and walked out without listening to her pleading, though she was doing it. I didn't know what to think. The only thing I could do now was damage control. The board would want to grill me again and I'd grill Grayson, only this time I was sure they'd never be content with my interrogation. They'd want to speak to him themselves. And just when I thought things were going well too. I was such a fool.

Maybe it was better if the board had their own discussions with him. Maybe I just had to cut the cord and move on. My company was too important for these childish games.

Chapter 18

Grayson

The minute I saw that tabloid I knew it was over. Every ounce of my effort and emotional energy over the past several weeks to convince Olivia I was a different person than she once believed was wasted. I knew she would see that headline and without even having evidence the article was credible she would run. I wasn't stupid. I knew a man with stains on his record could never get the girl, especially when those stains had affected her.

I walked up to Dating Game headquarters with an armful of roses and a handwritten letter which I had put a lot of time into thoughtfully composing. She hadn't returned any of my phone calls but after the harsh conference call I'd had with Ethan and the board members, I knew Olivia was angry and hurt.

I had properly informed the board that I was under no circumstances ever planning anything in that tabloid and put them in contact with my lawyer but the damage was done. We lived in a day and age where people took articles like that as fact whether they wanted to or not. To continue with me as a partner or investor would be PR suicide and I knew better than to press it.

Fearing Olivia would turn me away, I hadn't even called ahead to inform her I was coming. I did, however, slip her secretary a hundred-dollar bill with a promise of more to come if she allowed me to wait until Olivia was done with her meeting and slip in to see her. The petite woman accepted my bribe with a look of disdain and nodded at the hard chairs lining the wall outside of Olivia's office, and I parked my ass there and waited. It would take my best groveling to get out of this mess.

When the doorknob clicked and the massive wooden door swung open, I stood. Ethan strolled out, followed by some man with raven hair and angry eyes. Neither of them looked happy to see me and for a second I thought Ethan would slug me. He had made it very clear on the conference call that he was adamantly opposed to Olivia and I ever speaking after advice from her PR guy that being seen with me would be horrible for the company.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Ethan growled but I wasn't intimidated. At this point I had nothing to lose. I'd already sold off properties to pay Ward and eventually that would mean a loss of revenue but no reduction in force. Ward was on his way to being dealt with in the public sector and Olivia hated me. If Ethan slugged me it would probably be the highlight of my afternoon.

"I came to apologize to Olivia." My statement wasn't well received. I watched his hands ball up into fists and he walked closer to me, so close our chests almost touched. The roses I held to one side were slightly crushed between us and Ethan stared me down like I was a bull and he was the matador.

"Olivia doesn't wish to see you. You have hurt her pretty badly, and you've put our company's reputation on the line. I don't know what angle you think you can play now. Your game is over. You're out." His breath had a hint of alcohol on it which would have made me concerned if I wasn't so angry with him and desperate to get to Olivia. I found myself wanting to ball up my own fists and shoved him away just to get in that room.

"I--"

"It's fine, Ethan." Olvia's voice cut me off and I was glad it did. I'd have said something stupid in front of her and made it worse. "Let him in." Her tone was cold. She sounded upset, just like I knew she'd be, but at least she was letting me come in. It meant I had a shot at groveling.

Ethan stood there staring at me for another few seconds as if he had a chance in hell of keeping me away now that Olivia had told him to let me in. The other man glared at me and grabbed Ethan by the arm, pulling him away, and the two of them stalked up the hall angrily.

Olivia's expression wasn't anger now. It had softened into a look of pain mingled with knowing, as if she had disappointed herself by trusting me after knowing better. While it wasn't entirely my fault things happened the way they did, I had definitely contributed to it by even allowing Miles to tempt me. Olivia was never a prize to be won off the back of a scheme. To me she was the whole treasure. The business could grow other ways and I never needed what Miles wanted in order to be happy. I needed her though.

"Well I'm not doing this in the hallway..." She turned around, walked into her office, and I glanced at her secretary who was still scowling, then followed her into her office.

Shutting the door behind me I trekked across the room as she rounded her desk and sat down. There was no compassion or warmth in her demeanor. I was in the doghouse for real. In fact, I had imagined her crying and shouting at me, but it appeared that fight was out of her already, probably taken out on her pillow or dripped into a tub of ice cream with her friends around for support.

"Liv, I'm--"

"Olivia, thank you, and please have a seat." She nodded and folded her hands in front of her on the desk. So this was how it was going to be. She was cold and stiff, curtly professional. Not at all the tender and sensitive woman I'd interacted with only days ago.

I sank into the chair across from her and set the roses and letter on her desk. It was uncomfortable seeing her in pain that I knew was caused by my actions no matter how indirect. A past version of myself was like Miles; I wouldn't have cared about hurting anyone. Life had a way of maturing me though, and I had changed.

"Olivia, I love you." I didn't know where to start or what to say to dig myself out of this hole. "I would never do the things that article said I was doing. You know how much I believe in you and Dating Game."

I had to give her credit. She could compartmentalize better than I could. This was tearing me apart and she held a plastic smile that could rival a Barbie doll's.

"Mr. Thorne, I believe my partner and the board members you spoke with the other day made it clear to you that the business arrangement we had has been terminated." Her sterile words stung like alcohol in a fresh wound. "I'm not sure what more we need to discuss."

"Olivia, please don't be like that. We are so much more than a business arrangement. What about the other night when you told me you wanted to have more too?" My fingers itched to reach out and hold hers, but the tone of her voice while she spoke kept me on my side of the desk this time.

"I think we both understand that after accusations like that there should be a full investigation. I'm afraid things have changed." The first hint of emotion crept into her voice and it cracked as she said, "I'm sorry."

Her eyes glistened with emotion but she was a pro at pushing it away. She blinked rapidly and sat straighter. I wasn't done groveling though. There was no way I was letting her go without a fight. A man who has tasted true love will never give up on it. We belonged together.

"Okay, I can see you're angry and hurt, but I'd like to discuss this as a personal thing. I am not here to argue for my partnership with Dating Game. I want Olivia Bennett, the woman I fell in love with, not Ms. Bennett the CEO."

"Grayson, please." Olivia pressed her lips into a thin line and scowled at me. "It's over. I need you to leave. I can't do this." She blinked and a single tear escaped. "God... I have a meeting..." She swiped at her cheeks and I reached into my breast pocket and handed her my handkerchief, which she took with a pout.

"It's not over though." I stood and glanced at the letter hoping it would get through to her. "I'm not letting you just walk out of my life. I love you, and I know you have feelings for me. And you know I would never do this. Look what Ward did to Ian and Lanie, and you're letting his lies fuck with your mind too. I don't blame you. He's powerful, but I give you my word that I would never do what they're accusing me of. Not even when my own financial advisor told me to. I care about you too much."

I walked out of her office without looking back because if I saw her fall apart into tears I would want to stay and comfort her and we would end up fighting it out instead of me calming her. She had a meeting to get to and I had to confirm a few things with Ian. Besides I didn't want her to feel even worse before her meeting with whomever it was.

I found a quiet bench under a shade tree outside and sat down. My plan was still in full effect even though it appeared the entire reason behind it was dissolving. I didn't need Olivia on my arm to know shutting Ward down was the right thing. He'd just do it again to me, or Ian, or some other unsuspecting victim and it was time someone set things straight. So I called Ian to see how things were progressing.

"Hey, Gray, how'd it go?" he asked when he answered my call. I had told him about my plan to apologize and grovel before coming here. Now I regretted that because I had to explain how horribly it had gone.

"Uh, awful... She's pretty much convinced everything is true and I'm a horrible person." I sighed hard. "I can't lose her, Ian. You know me. I'm too picky. I'll end up diving back into just fucking around and be depressed. She'll see me out with different women every weekend and think I never changed."

"Give her some time," he said cautiously. "She was surprised by all of this. Once she sees how Ward has been behind things she'll understand that everything the media was saying was nothing but a pack of lies." I wasn't sure if Ian was right, but he had a point. The bombshell had yet to be dropped.

"Thanks, man." I looked up at a passing car and knew if I sat here dwelling on the situation I would stay stuck. "And the plan...?"

Ian sucked in a breath and I knew he had a download coming for me. "I sent everything I have to my friend at the FTC. And you're not going to like what I have to say, Gray. I need you to promise me that whatever you hear, you will not under any circumstances confront Ward."

The line crackled with anticipation of what he'd say. I expected it to be bad news for me, that his FTC friend would do nothing, or that Ward was going to walk scot-free. I'd never promise to keep my hands off him then. He deserved another shot to the nose and maybe one to the gut. He was a waste of breath, a disease on the human race.

"I don't know if I can promise that, Ian. He needs to learn his lesson." My chest was tight, throat constricting as I thought of Ward walking away from this without even a slap on the wrist. Ian was a better man than me, more gracious. As long as Ward was leaving him alone he could just let the man be, but not me. I wanted Ward out of this game.

"Grayson, you don't want to end up in jail for assault. Now promise me." Ian was serious. His tone was more fatherly than friendly.

"Fine, I give you my word I will not lay a hand on him." I scowled and a woman walking past looked frightened and walked faster.

"Gray, Ward has had people attacking Dating Game...." Ian's words hung in the air for a second. "My buddy who works for him said they've had a group of their developers who also know a bit about hacking attacking her firewalls. They hope to make it appear like the software is vulnerable and go after data. They're trying to route it through your firm's servers but they're after user data." Ian's announcement didn't even shock me. Ward would stoop to low levels to be petty and make me look bad, and when it came back on him he'd let his men take the fall and wash his hands of it.

"Does your guy have proof Ward gave the order?" I asked, already on my feet headed toward my car. I had to get my guys on the issue and make sure our servers were secure.

"Not yet, but he's working with the FTC now. We'll get him. Just stay away from Ward and give Olivia some space. Alright? Lanie will talk with her." Ian was a lifesaver and a hell of a best friend.

"Yeah, I got it. Thanks, man." I hung up and headed toward my car. It wasn't the best news but it was moving the right direction. Now to fight fire with fire. Ward would go down and Olivia would be mine. There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Chapter 19

Olivia

My head hurt and so did my heart. I walked through the past week feeling numb and hollow. I'd heard rumors that the FTC was investigating Ward Nelson for allegedly stealing proprietary information from various companies but when the subject came up at the board meeting I excused myself to allow Ethan to handle things. He seemed to be fine taking charge and anything remotely connected to Grayson had been tabled. I couldn't even think about him.

In fact, when the board made the unanimous decision that I still had to find a perfect match to prove to my users the algorithm worked, I didn't even protest this time. No ulterior motives for me, no defiantly insisting I could be single and happy. The public had seen Grayson's fall from grace and would be watching. I was no longer my own. My price was the future of my company and now I sat across the table from a skinny, dimple-cheeked man with glasses and curly hair. My second "perfect match."

"Honestly, Olivia, I'm shocked that you lasted that long. I've heard horrible things about him. Everyone thought it was some ruse from the beginning." Nevil--what an old-fashioned name--spoke with his mouth full of food and chewed with it open. It wasn't the worst trait to have but it was annoying. Grayson would never have done that. "When I saw you on my perfect match list I thought it was a joke since you're the CEO of the app. And when you started dating Thorne I followed the relationship in the tabloids. I'm not surprised he ended up being a jerk."

"Yeah..." I sighed, not sure how to respond to Nevil. He wasn't wrong. Grayson had done awful things to Lanie and Ian and following this stunt I wasn't sure he'd ever redeem himself again. But it hadn't all been bad. I just didn't feel like defending him to my current date would be good for Dating Game.

"What made you even want to date him? Is it true what they said? It was fake to get good press in the lead up to the launch?" He took a huge slurp of soda and the straw rattled loudly.

"Uh, no actually." I had to answer every question correctly to keep myself out of even hotter water than I was in now having a breakup right before launch day. "He was my number one match and we hit it off."