TRAP (The Billionaire’s Rules, Book 15)
B rayden Forman has left the building , Lanie thought, as she watched him disappear out of the office.
Everyone was stunned, including Brayden’s co-founder, Virgil, who was standing there, hands on his hips, his eyes squinted as if he’d been photographed while staring into the sun on a hot summer’s day.
“I don’t get it,” Virgil whispered. The pained expression on his face was heartbreaking.
He looked like a dog that had been kicked; uncomprehending, wounded, not even knowing what he’d done to deserve any of this.
“It’s over, we shut the servers down,” someone called out.
Virgil’s entire body seemed to collapse in on itself. He put a hand to his face and wiped slowly down.
“I’m so sorry,” Lanie whispered.
He glanced at her. “You close with him these days?”
She swallowed and shrugged. “I—I don’t know.”
“I can’t talk to him but maybe you could. Make sure he’s okay.” Virgil shook his head and went back into his office.
The door slammed to the President’s office. Lanie found herself starting to walk and then she was almost running, out of the main workspace and then down to the first floor, knowing that Brayden would be long gone by now.
She got outside the building and looked around, wondering where he’d gone. Would he take his millions and just go off to some remote island hideaway?
Lanie could picture him lounging on a yacht with exotic women wearing very little clothing, dancing and drinking and waiting for him to choose just one to bring below deck…
And that’s when she saw him.
He was down the street and on his cell phone—so far away she was hardly certain who it was. But she could tell from the way he walked and moved, the silhouette of his body—it had to be him.
She began walking toward the figure, knowing that she had to make sure he was okay, just as Virgil had asked her to do, and despite everything Brayden had put her through.
This was a man whose life’s work had just come quickly crashing down around him, and more than anything, Lanie wanted to be there for him as a human being.
When she reached him, Brayden saw her and he muttered into the phone. “I have to go, call you later,” he said. He put his phone away.
“Hey,” she said, standing awkwardly in front of him.
Brayden’s eyes were wary, bloodshot. He looked as though he’d been up for a week straight. “What are you doing?” he asked, his voice cool and mistrustful.
“I came to see if you’re okay,” she said, folding her arms and trying to withstand his withering gaze.
“I think I’m pretty fucking clearly not okay. Newsflash, I know,” he said, and then he glanced past her and seemed to look around suspiciously.
“Virgil wanted me to talk to you—“
“Virg sent you?” Brayden snapped. He shook his head. “That guy has some nerve. Our company is down the toilet and he’s still playing big brother.”
“He cares—“
“Cares about me?” Brayden scoffed. “Let me tell you something about Virgil, my ex-President. The only thing that guy cares about is the bottom line. He’s a fucking living breathing ATM, and that’s it. Virgil and me haven’t been close for a long time.”
“You’re upset. Can we go somewhere…and just…”
“And just what?” he said, his eyes pinning her to where she stood.
“I don’t know. Talk.” She licked her lips anxiously. “I want to help.”
He smirked. “It’s over, Lanie.” He laughed and the sound was hollow and cold. “My career in this industry, my reputation, it’s all finished. There’s really nothing to talk about.”
“I don’t care about any of that. I care about you.”
Brayden’s complexion seemed to get paler as he took in her words. “ You care about me,” he said, almost spitting the words out of his mouth like bad food that he didn’t want to swallow.
“I—yes. I do.” She decided to own it, surprised to realize that it rang true,
B rayden Forman has left the building , Lanie thought, as she watched him disappear out of the office.
Everyone was stunned, including Brayden’s co-founder, Virgil, who was standing there, hands on his hips, his eyes squinted as if he’d been photographed while staring into the sun on a hot summer’s day.
“I don’t get it,” Virgil whispered. The pained expression on his face was heartbreaking.
He looked like a dog that had been kicked; uncomprehending, wounded, not even knowing what he’d done to deserve any of this.
“It’s over, we shut the servers down,” someone called out.
Virgil’s entire body seemed to collapse in on itself. He put a hand to his face and wiped slowly down.
“I’m so sorry,” Lanie whispered.
He glanced at her. “You close with him these days?”
She swallowed and shrugged. “I—I don’t know.”
“I can’t talk to him but maybe you could. Make sure he’s okay.” Virgil shook his head and went back into his office.
The door slammed to the President’s office. Lanie found herself starting to walk and then she was almost running, out of the main workspace and then down to the first floor, knowing that Brayden would be long gone by now.
She got outside the building and looked around, wondering where he’d gone. Would he take his millions and just go off to some remote island hideaway?
Lanie could picture him lounging on a yacht with exotic women wearing very little clothing, dancing and drinking and waiting for him to choose just one to bring below deck…
And that’s when she saw him.
He was down the street and on his cell phone—so far away she was hardly certain who it was. But she could tell from the way he walked and moved, the silhouette of his body—it had to be him.
She began walking toward the figure, knowing that she had to make sure he was okay, just as Virgil had asked her to do, and despite everything Brayden had put her through.
This was a man whose life’s work had just come quickly crashing down around him, and more than anything, Lanie wanted to be there for him as a human being.
When she reached him, Brayden saw her and he muttered into the phone. “I have to go, call you later,” he said. He put his phone away.
“Hey,” she said, standing awkwardly in front of him.
Brayden’s eyes were wary, bloodshot. He looked as though he’d been up for a week straight. “What are you doing?” he asked, his voice cool and mistrustful.
“I came to see if you’re okay,” she said, folding her arms and trying to withstand his withering gaze.
“I think I’m pretty fucking clearly not okay. Newsflash, I know,” he said, and then he glanced past her and seemed to look around suspiciously.
“Virgil wanted me to talk to you—“
“Virg sent you?” Brayden snapped. He shook his head. “That guy has some nerve. Our company is down the toilet and he’s still playing big brother.”
“He cares—“
“Cares about me?” Brayden scoffed. “Let me tell you something about Virgil, my ex-President. The only thing that guy cares about is the bottom line. He’s a fucking living breathing ATM, and that’s it. Virgil and me haven’t been close for a long time.”
“You’re upset. Can we go somewhere…and just…”
“And just what?” he said, his eyes pinning her to where she stood.
“I don’t know. Talk.” She licked her lips anxiously. “I want to help.”
He smirked. “It’s over, Lanie.” He laughed and the sound was hollow and cold. “My career in this industry, my reputation, it’s all finished. There’s really nothing to talk about.”
“I don’t care about any of that. I care about you.”
Brayden’s complexion seemed to get paler as he took in her words. “ You care about me,” he said, almost spitting the words out of his mouth like bad food that he didn’t want to swallow.
“I—yes. I do.” She decided to own it, surprised to realize that it rang true,
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