I picked up the document, scanning its contents. My blood ran cold. It was a statement claiming I had witnessed Catherine misusing company resources for personal matters — specifically to investigate her fiancé. It was exactly the evidence they needed to fire her with cause.
“This isn’t true,” I said, dropping the paper as if it had burned me.
Westfield’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Truth is relative in business, Jake. Catherine made enemies — powerful ones. She refused to play the game.”
So this was never about her ex fiancé’s threats. That was merely convenient timing. He admitted the board had wanted her gone for months. She was “too idealistic.” “Bad for the bottom line.”
I stood up. “I won’t sign this.”
“Think about your daughter, Jake.” His voice hardened. “Single father. Aging mother with medical issues. You need this job.”
The threat hung in the air between us.
“I’ll give you the weekend to reconsider. Monday morning, I expect your signature — or your resignation.”
I walked out of his office in a daze, my mind racing. By the time I picked up Lily from her after school program, I’d made my decision.
That night, after Lily was asleep, I drove to Catherine’s address — the one I’d looked up in the company directory before leaving the office. Her penthouse was in an exclusive building downtown with a doorman who eyed me suspiciously.
“I’m here to see Catherine Pierce.”
“Miss Pierce isn’t accepting visitors.”
“Please tell her Jake Sullivan is here. It’s important.”
He hesitated, then picked up the phone. After a brief conversation, he nodded reluctantly. “Penthouse floor. She’s expecting you.”
The elevator ride gave me time to second guess myself. What was I doing here? I was about to throw away financial security for a woman who probably saw me as nothing more than a momentary distraction during a personal crisis.
The elevator opened directly into her penthouse. Catherine stood by the floor to ceiling windows, the city lights creating a halo around her silhouette. She wore jeans and a simple sweater — so different from her power suits, yet somehow more intimidating.
“Jake,” she said, turning to face me. “This is unexpected.”
“They want me to lie about you.” The words blurted out. “Westfield offered me the permanent CFO position if I sign a statement saying you misused company resources.”
Her expression didn’t change. “And you came here to tell me you’re taking the deal?”
“What? No.” I stepped closer. “I came to warn you. They’re setting you up. They’ve wanted you gone for months.”
She laughed softly, without humor. “I know. I’ve always known.”
“Then why didn’t you fight back?”
“Because fighting dirty means becoming what they are.” She said it simply. “I built that company on principles. The moment I compromised those, I’ve already lost.”
“So you’re just giving up? Letting them win?”
“I’m choosing my battles. And right now, my battle is figuring out who I am outside of that company.” She studied me curiously. “Why are you really here, Jake?”
The question caught me off guard. Why was I here? To warn her? To seek her advice? Or was it something else entirely?
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I just know that what they’re doing is wrong, and I can’t be part of it.”
“Even if it costs you everything?”
“Some things are worth more than a paycheck.”
She moved closer. Close enough that I could smell her perfume — something subtle and expensive.
“Like what?”
“Like being able to look my daughter in the eye and tell her I did the right thing. Like being able to look at myself in the mirror.”
Catherine’s expression softened. “You’re a good man, Jake Sullivan. Better than most.”
“I’m just trying to figure this out. I have Lily to think about, my mom’s medical bills. But I also have to live with myself.”
“What will you do?”
“I don’t know yet. But I won’t sign their statement.”
She nodded, then surprised me by taking my hand. “Whatever you decide, I want you to know something. That night at your apartment — it meant something to me. More than I expected it to.”
My heart raced as her fingers intertwined with mine. “It meant something to me, too.”
“Say that again.”
But looking at me this time.
I met her gaze, finding courage I didn’t know I had. “It meant something to me, Catherine. You mean something to me.”
This time, she did close the distance between us. Her lips found mine in a kiss that felt like coming home and stepping off a cliff all at once.
When we finally broke apart, she rested her forehead against mine. “I’ve been thinking about doing that since I left your apartment.”
“Me too.”
“This complicates things,” she said. But she was smiling.
“My life’s already complicated. What’s one more complication?”
We talked for hours that night — about everything and nothing. About her plans to start her own company, about my dreams of providing Lily with opportunities I never had. About the fear and exhilaration of starting over.
By the time I left her penthouse, dawn was breaking over the city, and I had a plan.
Monday morning, I walked into Westfield’s office with my head high.
“Ah, Jake.” He smiled that shark like smile. “I trust you’ve come to a sensible decision.”
