Chapter 59
Chapter 59:
“Yes. A white powder.” Vincent wiped his face with a handkerchief. “They’re threatening to launch a full investigation into the hotel. They think we’re running a distribution hub. If this gets out, the hotel’s rating drops to zero. We lose the liquor license p>
Jocelyn’s mind raced. This was Kieran’s doing — or Aspen’s. A scorched-earth policy. If Kieran was going down, he was taking the venue down with him. He must have planted it after she left: a final act of spite.
“Cooperate with them,” Jocelyn said. “Give them the guest logs p>
“It’s not that simple!” Vincent yelled. “The liability falls on us. We need… we need a fall guy p>
His eyes shifted — small, ratlike eyes.
“Harvey,” Vincent said. “The old HR director. You suspended him, but he still has keycard access. We say he’s a disgruntled employee, that he’s been colluding with guests to damage the hotel’s reputation. We say he planted it as revenge p>
“You want to frame Harvey?” Jocelyn asked, her voice low.
“He’s useless anyway! And he’s already out the door. It’s the perfect narrative. I’ve already told the police captain that we have a suspect p>
“You did what p>
W𝘩а𝘁 𝘦𝘷е𝗿𝘆𝘰𝗇𝘦 𝗂𝘴 r𝖾𝖺𝗱𝗶𝘯𝘨 oո ѕ.𝘤𝗈m
“I’m saving the family business!” Vincent slammed his hand on the doorframe. “Unlike you, playing house with that Collins boy p>
He turned and marched down the hall.
Jocelyn’s phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number.
Ms. Wolfe. It’s Harvey. I’m in the server room. Vincent sent security to find me. He’s going to pin the drugs on me. Please — I have proof.
Jocelyn grabbed her blazer. She didn’t hesitate. Harvey was incompetent, yes. He was corrupt, yes. But he was her incompetent, corrupt employee to deal with — and she would not let Vincent sacrifice him to cover for Kieran Douglas.
She ran out of the office, her heels clicking a sharp staccato on the marble floor.
Back at the press conference, Kieran stepped away from the podium. The moment he crossed backstage, his smile dropped into a scowl. He yanked his arm away from Aspen.
“Are you happy?” he hissed.
“I saved your stock price,” Aspen said, inspecting her nails. “You should be thanking me p>
“I know you called the paparazzi p>
“Prove it p>
Kieran stared at her. He hated her — with a purity that frightened him.
He pulled out his phone and sent a text to Uncle Vincent.
Make sure the drug scandal sticks to the hotel. I want Jocelyn’s management to look incompetent. I want her begging me to make it go away.
If he was going to be miserable in a prison of a marriage, he wanted Jocelyn to suffer too.
The server room was cold, humming with the sound of cooling fans and blinking LED lights. It smelled of ozone and dust.
When Jocelyn burst in, the scene was already chaotic. Uncle Vincent stood by the door, flanked by two burly security guards — loyalists from the old regime. They had Harvey cornered against a rack of servers. He clutched a portable hard drive to his chest like a life preserver.
“Hand it over, you little rat!” Vincent shouted.
“I didn’t do it!” Harvey squealed. He looked at Jocelyn, his eyes wide with terror. “Ms. Wolfe! Tell them p>