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Authors: Melissa F. Hart
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months. I didn’t develop my strategy until six weeks ago, so it’s only logical to say I stole my ideas from them.”
“Why wouldn’t everyone assume that you both just happened to develop the same idea? I know you’re not a thief, so it must be a coincidence,” Jocelyn said, stroking his arm in futile attempt to comfort him.
“If it was the same general strategy, sure; but there’s more to it than that. We both had the exact same campaign, in every single detail. The same marketing slogan, the same materials, even the same artwork. This is no coincidence, this is industrial espionage!”
“Who could have done such a thing?” Jocelyn asked, but a memory flashed in her mind of sending copies of all Ethan’s work to someone, and it was someone she had always had a bad feeling about. Something told her to listen to her intuition; it had never let her down before and she’d come to trust it.
“I don’t know who could have done this, but if we don’t find out, I’m ruined,” Ethan said, looking heartbroken. “I may have to shut down my grandfather’s company! Unethical business practices like this can destroy a company’s reputation so no one will want to work with us or buy from us. I can’t believe this has happened!”
“What if you get a full confession from the person who did it, proving that they were intentionally trying to ruin you and that you had nothing to do with it?”
“Well, that would save me and the company, but that would be a miracle. The odds of that happening are nearly impossible.”
“You said that about finding happiness too.” Jocelyn winked at him. “When we land, I need a car to take me straight to the mansion so I can get cooking. I have a special meal to prepare for a very special person.”
“You know who did this?” Ethan asked in surprise.
“I believe I do, but I need to find out for sure. If he can’t handle the heat, he’ll be sure to want to get out of the kitchen. Go to the authorities and tell them to be ready to receive the confession. I’ll do all the rest.”
***
Chester Colder was in the middle of a board meeting when his secretary announced that their lunch delivery had arrived.
“Send them in,” he said absently. A gorgeous young woman entered the meeting, wearing a simple white uniform, with her black hair pulled back into a bun and covered with a hairnet. She smiled as she passed the food containers and beverages around to all the members of the board, ending with Chester. Then she stood by his side with a patient expression, as if waiting for something.
“My secretary will pay you,” Chester said after it became apparent that she wasn’t going to leave.
“She’s out of petty cash and told me to get it from you,” Jocelyn said pleasantly and handed him a bill.
Chester flushed angrily. He was anxious to get back to the board meeting, where they were moments away from declaring Ethan Richmond unfit to act as CEO and Chester planned to make his bid to take over the role. It was going to be his shining moment.
“Fine, let me see what kind of cash I have on me!” he blustered. He reached into pocket and pulled out his wallet. As he counted out a wad of money, Jocelyn reached forward and pulled out a tiny piece of paper that was poking out of the edge.
“What’s this?” she asked innocently. She opened the paper and read it aloud. It was a phone number followed by a series of alphabet letters. “What does all that mean?”
“Give me that!” Chester snatched the paper away from her hands and shoved it back into his wallet, but it was too late. The damage had been done. One of the board members recognized the information on the paper.
“That’s the private phone number for Edward Lewis, the grandson of the CEO of Lewis Inc. I know because he used to call me all the time, trying to get information he could use to blackmail Mr. Richmond! I had the number
“Why wouldn’t everyone assume that you both just happened to develop the same idea? I know you’re not a thief, so it must be a coincidence,” Jocelyn said, stroking his arm in futile attempt to comfort him.
“If it was the same general strategy, sure; but there’s more to it than that. We both had the exact same campaign, in every single detail. The same marketing slogan, the same materials, even the same artwork. This is no coincidence, this is industrial espionage!”
“Who could have done such a thing?” Jocelyn asked, but a memory flashed in her mind of sending copies of all Ethan’s work to someone, and it was someone she had always had a bad feeling about. Something told her to listen to her intuition; it had never let her down before and she’d come to trust it.
“I don’t know who could have done this, but if we don’t find out, I’m ruined,” Ethan said, looking heartbroken. “I may have to shut down my grandfather’s company! Unethical business practices like this can destroy a company’s reputation so no one will want to work with us or buy from us. I can’t believe this has happened!”
“What if you get a full confession from the person who did it, proving that they were intentionally trying to ruin you and that you had nothing to do with it?”
“Well, that would save me and the company, but that would be a miracle. The odds of that happening are nearly impossible.”
“You said that about finding happiness too.” Jocelyn winked at him. “When we land, I need a car to take me straight to the mansion so I can get cooking. I have a special meal to prepare for a very special person.”
“You know who did this?” Ethan asked in surprise.
“I believe I do, but I need to find out for sure. If he can’t handle the heat, he’ll be sure to want to get out of the kitchen. Go to the authorities and tell them to be ready to receive the confession. I’ll do all the rest.”
***
Chester Colder was in the middle of a board meeting when his secretary announced that their lunch delivery had arrived.
“Send them in,” he said absently. A gorgeous young woman entered the meeting, wearing a simple white uniform, with her black hair pulled back into a bun and covered with a hairnet. She smiled as she passed the food containers and beverages around to all the members of the board, ending with Chester. Then she stood by his side with a patient expression, as if waiting for something.
“My secretary will pay you,” Chester said after it became apparent that she wasn’t going to leave.
“She’s out of petty cash and told me to get it from you,” Jocelyn said pleasantly and handed him a bill.
Chester flushed angrily. He was anxious to get back to the board meeting, where they were moments away from declaring Ethan Richmond unfit to act as CEO and Chester planned to make his bid to take over the role. It was going to be his shining moment.
“Fine, let me see what kind of cash I have on me!” he blustered. He reached into pocket and pulled out his wallet. As he counted out a wad of money, Jocelyn reached forward and pulled out a tiny piece of paper that was poking out of the edge.
“What’s this?” she asked innocently. She opened the paper and read it aloud. It was a phone number followed by a series of alphabet letters. “What does all that mean?”
“Give me that!” Chester snatched the paper away from her hands and shoved it back into his wallet, but it was too late. The damage had been done. One of the board members recognized the information on the paper.
“That’s the private phone number for Edward Lewis, the grandson of the CEO of Lewis Inc. I know because he used to call me all the time, trying to get information he could use to blackmail Mr. Richmond! I had the number
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