My Sweet Seduction

The Last One to Know

Chapter 4

Emma’s POV

The first week of January

“Ms. Thompson?” an unfamiliar male voice came through my phone.

“This is Emma Thompson,” I replied, not knowing who was calling me. I do business on my phone, and as long as it’s a valid number, I always answer.

“This is Paul, one of the investigators you hired to follow your fiancé, Brett Anderson. I know that you are out of town at the moment, but I would like to know when you can return, so we can meet up. We have something to show you that you need to see,” he replied.

“Do you have evidence that he’s cheating on me?” I immediately asked.

“It would be best for us to speak in person, Ms. Thompson,” Paul answered.

“I'll fly in as soon as I can. I need to make sure that I can be gone for a few days,” I replied.

“Just let us know when a good time to meet will be,” Paul answered.

I was glad this was done. I was tired of not knowing. I just wanted this whole ordeal to be over with as soon as possible. I called the manager of the new store, Janine Morris, and told her I would need to go out of town for at least two days. I didn’t know what they had, but I had already started looking into someone to replace Brett as CFO. I wasn’t going to wait to do it. I won’t allow my business to be put at risk because he has a girlfriend on the side. I have already looked into a forensic accountant, and I was glad it was finally time to move forward.

Janine was fine with taking over in my place. She has been with me since I opened the store, and she knew what I needed done. The latest store was much different from the first two locations. I had included a coffee shop so people could either have coffee or tea there in the store or take it to go. I was testing it out for this location, as I could incorporate it at the other two locations if everything went well.

We had just hired a third barista to work there this week. The coffee shop was busy, and I knew we would soon be adding a fourth employee. I was going to give everyone training in both areas so they could rotate between the sweets counter and the coffee shop. That way, if one of the area’s got busier than the other, they could get the line down quicker. I wanted to be a one-stop shop where they could grab a breakfast bar, donut, or biscotti, along with the other products we offer. I was coming up with more ideas, as it was really catching on well.

“We have everything covered for the week, Emma. Don’t worry about us,” Janine assured me.

“Go ahead and hire another barista, Janine. I would feel better about it while I'm in Atlanta. I don't plan on staying long, but if I need to restructure things, it could be a week. Even at a minimum, as long as they can run registers, that would help keep the pressure off of you. I’ll be sure to let you know when to expect my return,” I responded.

I lucked out with finding Janine. She was great. Very down to earth, and she quickly learned not just the recipes but also how I liked things done. She was full of ideas, and her suggestion to include breakfast items in the lineup was a good one. It had really taken off. The new location was giving the one in downtown Atlanta a run for its money. We now had a box for just one cupcake, as people who came in for a sweet treat had quickly appreciated our new options.

I packed quickly and headed back to the airport in an Uber. I’d already paid for my room for the month, so there was no need to check out. I texted the forensic accountant at the airport before I even boarded the plane to leave Chattanooga. I had a gut feeling that whatever they had for me wasn’t going to be good. I wasn’t going to draw this out. I’ll do whatever needs to be done to protect not just myself, but my business. I didn’t feel bad about firing Brett at all. Not after the call he made to me earlier. He clearly favored my sister over me. I was done.

When I hired the investigators, I thought that when the time came, moving forward would hurt. I really thought I would cry, but all I feel is relief that I'm about to have answers now. For the sake of our five years together, I needed closure. The time we’ve had apart lately has given me clarity. I knew Brett wasn’t the man for me, and it’s time to end this farce. I needed time to think and to come up with a plan after I saw what they had. That will be how I determine my next move.

I wasn’t planning on being gone for long. The accountant knew I needed him soon and was able to get a flight out for the morning. It was a short flight going from Chattanooga to Atlanta. I was in my condo by 6:30 p.m., and I called Paul after I landed. My car was in my garage, and I drove over to the restaurant where they had asked to meet. He told me to text him once I arrived.

He texted me back where they were, and I slipped into the back seat of his SUV. His window tint was dark, and he sat in the front seat with Keith. There was a laptop lying on the console between them. I could see Brett was seated at a table in the restaurant. He was with his parents and his sister Gail. I don’t know how they got the room set up as they did on such short notice. It was a private room, and there were four empty seats available at the table.

I had just shut the door to the SUV when I heard my sister’s grating voice come through the laptop speakers as she entered the room. She was followed by my father and her mother, Joan. Noel walked right up to Brett, who had stood up when she entered the room. Noel kissed him in front of everyone, but no one reacted at all. I guess I was the last one to know that they were together.