My Sweet Seduction

War Games

Chapter 9

Emma’s POV

"I'm ready to get out of the city for a while. I'm going to sell my condo. Now that it's been tainted, I no longer want it. I wouldn't be able to go home without thinking about what Brett and Noel did. I just want to take a break from them both, as well as Joan and Dad. With you both coming after him, he won't want to let me go. They will just try again, especially if you're successful in getting him kicked out of his own company," I announced.

I wanted some peace, and being over two hours away from them would help that happen. I had a lot to get done before we left, and I think taking some time for myself to decide what I wanted to do moving forward was a great idea. I just knew that I didn't want anything to do with Brett and Noel. I had an idea of what I wanted to do, but I was going to run it by my mother and grandfather. They knew how to get their point across in a highly effective way. So I will defer to them bout what they think I needed to do.

“Emma, I've found a home in Jasper Falls. I’m closing on it in two days. It’s about 25 minutes away from your new store. Instead of you staying in the hotel, I wanted to see if you would like to move in with me. I think taking a break is just what you need. You haven't taken a vacation since you started planning on opening your first store. You deserve a break, honey, and your grandparents will be there too, as their home isn't ready yet. That way, you'll have time to look around and see if you want to live closer to us or in the city. I would feel better if I were closer to you as this all plays out. I’ve already set things up so I can work remotely. They only need me to come in for board meetings. The little town we're going to be living in is really nice. I think you’re going to love my new home,” my mother assured me.

“I would actually like to get out of the hotel,” I replied.

I knew she was trying to apologize with the offer she just made. I did miss them, and this would allow me to get away from Brett. Which reminded me of what I had come here for.

“I need to find an attorney, but I don't want to use the one from my company. I don't know if he was the one who drew up the paperwork to try to sneak that clause into the prenup or not just yet. Brett has a way of getting people on his side. Until I know who I can trust, I want someone else to look over the paperwork I have and look for any potential issues that might be hidden. I know what I heard him admit. They all knew what he was going to do, and supported him. Brett was planning to get me to sign away my company using that buried clause in the prenup. Obviously, the engagement is off. He proposed to someone else. I just want someone independent to look at the paperwork,” I advised.

“That's a good idea. The attorney handling my closing is a really nice guy, and he's around your age. He’s pretty handsome, too. Why don’t you take it to him to check things over? I'd suggest using one of our attorneys here in Atlanta, but I think we need to drop the bomb on Brett and leave town. That will make it harder for him to find you and cause problems,” my mother suggested.

“Mom, I don’t need a guy in my life right now, but I wouldn’t mind making a new friend. Especially one who can help me navigate through this. Brett really did a number on me. I need to get things straight in my head and even decide whether I want to date again before I jump into another relationship. Tomorrow I have to go in and fire Brett before bringing in the new CFO. Bradley Hankins will be taking over Brett's position as of tomorrow. I also hired a forensic accountant to make sure that Brett hasn’t found a way to funnel any money out of the business. But either way, Brett is done tomorrow. I will fly out with you the day after tomorrow. I just need to focus on work and get past falling for Brett’s lies and pathetic excuses,” I answered.

“I’m going to go in with you tomorrow,” my mother advised.

“Oh, I’m going with her too, Andrea. I won’t allow Emma to be taken advantage of,” my grandfather interjected.

“You two aren’t leaving me here alone while you go out to help her cut him loose. I’m going too. Neither of you is good at comforting anyone. You two have your own strengths, which will help Emma clean out the trash from her company,” Gigi added.

Their support made me tear up again, but this time, they were tears of joy. I knew they would be there for me, supporting whatever I decided to do. I wasn’t looking forward to the confrontation, but I knew that it had to be done. After I fired him, I would need to pack up what I wanted from my home. I wasn’t planning to return until it was time to sign the paperwork when the condo sold. I would let it sell with all the furniture included. I just wanted my clothing and jewelry.

I headed upstairs to grab a shower. It was strange being in my old room. I still wasn’t hungry. I just felt sick at being so foolish that I fell for all of the excuses Brett gave as to why he couldn’t get me an engagement ring. I hated having to admit that I allowed him to humiliate me. I wanted to kick myself for ever thinking that he was a good man. I got dressed and dried my hair as I mentally went through my next steps. I called both of my store managers, Caitlin and Penny, to advise them of what I was about to do.

“Good for you, Emma. I don’t trust Brett at all. He knew your sister was awful to you, yet he paraded her around like she was his fiancée, not you. He was pretty pissed off that I refused to hand over your recipes to them. Thankfully, they didn’t know the code to the safe. He tried, and failed, to open it,” Caitlin told me.

“Never give the recipes out to anyone. You know I would never give them to Noel or my father. I told Brett the last time he asked me to just give Noe the banana pudding recipe while she was there. I told him that if she really wanted it that badly, she could just buy it for him at the store, like any other customer. That really pushed Brett over the edge. You have my permission to call the police and have them both trespassed if they come in there and cause any issues after I fire him tomorrow. I’m sure they will come back looking to cause trouble after he gets fired. Don’t let them. Call the police the moment they show up. I will be in Chattanooga, at the new store, but I can return quickly if needed,” I advised.

“Don’t worry about the store, Emma. It will be my pleasure to have them both arrested if they cause any problems. Noel plays innocent, but when things don’t go her way, she really turns into a shrew. That won’t go over well with the police. I’ll make sure to rip that innocent victim mask she likes to wear off right in front of them,” Caitlin stated with a laugh.

Caitlin knew how bad things were between Noel and me from the start. Noel and Joan had come into the store the first week the downtown store opened. They both walked around acting like they owned the place. I was too busy working behind the counter to pay much attention to what they were doing. I had written them both off, along with my father, the night he slapped me for them.

Caitlin noticed them and commented that Brett had gone out of his way to speak to them as if they were friends. I had dismissed it back then, just like I let so many other things slide. Brett had once told me that family was important to him. He excused pressuring me to get along with them as a desire for my family to reunite and be whole again. He always acted like he didn’t understand why I refused to reconcile with them.

Now I know the real reason. They paid for him to distract me. They wanted him to seduce me and string me along. I think that it was always Noel's plan to take my business away. She just hadn't told Brett. Why would she? He would do whatever she wanted in the long run.

Well, too bad for them, they failed. The call to Penny went about the same. Brett and Noel had also gone to her store and tried to bully her into giving them the recipes, too. But Penny was no nonsense type of person. She threatened to call the police on them. They hadn’t come back to bother her after that. They were probably scared that she would call me and tell me what they had done. I gave Penny the same instructions I'd given Caitlin. Have them trespassed from the store if they returned. They had my full support to do whatever they needed to get them out of their stores.

I told them that if I needed to come back and sign the trespass order myself, I would. I lay down and stared at the ceiling of my room. It had stayed the same as it was when I left to go to college, but I was no longer that starry-eyed girl anymore. I wanted to sleep, but it refused to come. Memories played on repeat of everything I let slide over the years. Instead of challenging Brett. I couldn't sleep, so I made one more call, to Paul.

"Can you and Keith come to my office tomorrow? I need help setting something up. I want the same setup as you had in the restaurant. I would also like the tracker to be removed from my vehicle. You can leave it in my garage, but I know that I will eventually take my car to Chattanooga. I don't want to make it too easy for him to find me," I requested.

"What time did you want us there?" he asked.

"Is 7:30 in the morning too early?" I answered.

"That's good with us. We both thought that you would be moving forward quickly with what you learned. You're making the right choice. I've never heard of such a ruthless plan in my life. Your sister is a piece of work," he replied.

"Half-sister," I responded.

I'd been content to accept the scraps of affection he would give me. I felt so stupid thinking about how happy I was to have found him, scoffing at how blind I'd been. I was getting ready for war. I wasn’t going to have my grandfather or mother fight this battle for me. I had allowed him into my company; I would be the one to remove him from it. I thought things would go smoothly. But I was wrong again. I would be the one who ended up taken by surprised when Brett arrived for work.