Chapter 2: The Article That Changed Everything
Devon stared at his phone as if the screen had delivered a death sentence.
The headline was impossible to miss.
*REED MERIDIAN HOLDINGS COMPLETES $420 MILLION ACQUISITION, EXPANDING ITS NATIONAL LOGISTICS PORTFOLIO.*
Beneath it was a photograph of me standing beside a group of executives at a press conference.
Tiana leaned over his shoulder.
“What are you looking at?””
Devon swallowed.
“Nothing.””
She snatched the phone from his hand.
Then she saw my photograph.
Her lips parted, but no words came out.
Paige moved closer.
“What's happening?””
Tiana turned the screen toward her friend.
“That's Marcus.””
Paige blinked.
“Your Marcus?””
“Apparently.””
I could have climbed into the car and left them standing there. A part of me wanted to. There was something satisfying about watching people discover they had underestimated you.
But another part remembered the nights I'd sat alone in that rented office, wondering whether the company would survive another month.
I hadn't built Reed Meridian to impress Tiana Brooks.
I had built it because I wanted to prove that the boy who grew up watching his parents lose their small business could create something that lasted.
And now I wanted to know why Devon Hayes looked terrified.
“Mr. Reed,” Devon said, stepping forward, “I apologize. I had no idea.””
I raised an eyebrow.
“Would that have changed your opinion of my jeans?””
His mouth opened.
Tiana shot him an angry look, as if his embarrassment were somehow his fault alone.
“Marcus, why didn't you tell me?”” she demanded.
I stared at her.
“When would you have liked me to tell you? When you left? When you stopped answering my calls? Or when you sent me that message saying you couldn't see a future with a man who had nothing?””
Her face flushed.
“That was three years ago. People change.””
“Yes,” I said.
“They do.””
She took a step toward me.
“Are you really worth hundreds of millions?””
“That's not how personal wealth works.””
“So you're rich.””
Daniel remained beside the car, patiently holding the door open.
I ignored the question.
Instead, I looked at Devon.
“Your company is Northbridge Logistics, correct?””
He straightened immediately.
“Yes, sir. Senior vice president of corporate development.””
“Interesting. Northbridge submitted a proposal to my acquisition team last Tuesday.””
His expression brightened with desperate hope.
“Exactly! That's actually why I'm in Atlanta. We've been trying to secure a partnership with Reed Meridian for months. If we could arrange a meeting, I could explain our expansion strategy.””
“You mean the proposal containing confidential financial projections?””
The color drained from his face.
Tiana looked between us.
“What projections?””
Devon barely glanced at her.
“Mr. Reed, I can explain.””
“Then explain.””
He adjusted his cufflinks, a nervous habit that hadn't escaped me.
“Our analysts prepared the proposal using publicly available market information.””
“Publicly available?”” I repeated.
“Yes.””
I opened the leather portfolio Daniel had brought.
Inside was a printed copy of Northbridge's proposal, marked with several yellow tabs. My chief financial officer, Elaine Porter, had sent it over that afternoon after identifying discrepancies in the submitted figures.
I turned to page seventeen.
“Your proposal contains the projected operating costs for a warehouse network we haven't publicly announced.””
Devon stared at the page.
“That must be a misunderstanding.””
“Perhaps. It also contains a valuation model that was circulated internally at Reed Meridian only nine days ago.””
His jaw tightened.
Tiana looked at him sharply.
“Devon, what is he talking about?””
“Stay out of this, Tiana.””
The words came out too harshly.
She recoiled.
For the first time that evening, she looked less like a woman showing off her successful boyfriend and more like someone discovering she might not know him at all.
I closed the portfolio.
“Daniel, give me a moment.””
“Of course, sir.””
I turned back to Devon.
“Tell me something. Who at Northbridge prepared this proposal?””
“Our strategy team.””
“Names, please.””
He hesitated.
“Marcus, I mean, Mr. Reed, these are confidential corporate matters. We should discuss them in a formal meeting.””
“You wanted a meeting. Consider this the beginning.””
His phone vibrated.
He glanced down, and I saw a message flash across the screen.
*Did you get confirmation? We need the documents before Monday.*
He quickly turned the phone over.
Too quickly.
I had seen enough.
“Who's messaging you?”” I asked.
“No one important.””
“Then you won't mind showing me.””
He clutched the phone.
“That's private.””
“Of course it is.””
I slipped the proposal back into my portfolio.
“Here's what will happen. My legal team will contact Northbridge tomorrow morning. Until then, nobody from your company should access our confidential files or contact members of my acquisition team.””
Devon nodded rapidly.
“Understood.””
Tiana stepped between us.
“Marcus, this is ridiculous. Devon is a respected executive. You can't accuse him of stealing something because a spreadsheet looks familiar.””
I looked at her.
“How do you know what the spreadsheet contains?””
She went completely still.
It was a small reaction, but it was enough.
Devon turned toward her.
“Tiana?””
She recovered quickly.
“I don't. I'm just saying you're making a scene.””
“No,” I replied.
“I'm asking a question.””
Her fingers tightened around her handbag.
“You've always been suspicious of people who succeed faster than you.””
I almost laughed.
“That's an interesting thing to say.””
Daniel cleared his throat gently.
“Mr. Reed, your next appointment is waiting.””
I nodded and stepped toward the BMW.
Tiana suddenly grabbed my arm.
“Marcus, wait. We need to talk.””
I looked down at her hand until she released me.
“About what?””
“About us. About everything that happened.””
“There is no us.””
Her eyes glistened, but I couldn't tell whether she was hurt or simply frightened by the direction the evening had taken.
“I made a mistake,” she whispered.
“You made a decision.””
“Can't those be the same thing?””
“Sometimes.””
I climbed into the car.
Through the open door, I watched Devon whisper urgently to Tiana.
She shook her head.
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward him.
“Tell me you didn't give him anything,” he hissed.
Tiana jerked her arm away.
“I didn't tell him anything!””
Daniel began closing the door.
Then my phone rang.
Elaine Porter appeared on the screen.
I answered immediately.
“Elaine, what's wrong?””
Her voice was tight.
“Marcus, I've been going through the access logs. We found the source of the leak.””
I looked through the window at Devon, who had gone pale again.
“Who was it?””
Elaine hesitated.
Then she said a name I hadn't expected.
“Tiana Brooks.””
I sat forward.
“What?””
“And Marcus,” she continued, “the payments don't lead to Devon alone. Someone inside your own family has been receiving money.””
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“Who?””
May you like
There was a long pause.
“Your brother, Ethan.””
