Chapter 2

"Em! Hey, babe. Your meeting wrap up?"

Jason bounced off the sofa in a flash. His expression shifted with terrifying speed, his tone suddenly dripping with affection.

"Your friend came to see you. I was just keeping her company."

He emphasized the word friend.

I shot Emily a warning look, terrified she would blurt out my identity.

Emily blinked, quickly catching my drift, and didn't correct him.

She never disclosed our relationship to her colleagues or the business teams because she refused to let anyone think she was a nepo baby. Only HR, Legal, and essential corporate governance staff knew. Before she was hired, she filed a formal conflict of interest disclosure, ensuring I was completely recused from her hiring, evaluations, compensation, and promotions.

Her degrees, internships, and interview records were bulletproof. She wasn't going to let all that hard work be erased by the label "Founder's daughter."

"Claire, what are you doing here?" She looked at me, her voice a little shaky.

"You haven't replied to my texts in three days. I saw the news about a young tech worker dying from extreme burnout, and I was worried you were working yourself into the ground," I said bluntly.

Jason immediately sidled up. "Emily, your friend is great. Let's all grab dinner tonight. My treat."

Emily glanced at me, conflicted and panicked, clearly not knowing how to respond.

"I'll pass." I picked up my bag and looked at my daughter. "Just wanted to make sure you were safe. I'll let you get back to work."

"I'll walk you out."

Jason was relentless, shadowing me all the way to the headquarters lobby and out into the plaza. I glanced back at Emily.

I knew that look too well. A girl in her first real relationship, anxious her mother wouldn't approve, terrified her boyfriend was being judged.

The moment I got into my car, the polite warmth vanished from my face. I dialed my executive assistant.

"I want a full background check on Jason Reed, Engineering. Two-year tenure." I paused, then added, "Have HR and Legal independently audit his files according to the existing COI declaration protocols. For Emily's part, just confirm she's safe. Do not route the investigation conclusions through me."

"Understood."

Emily got home at seven-thirty that evening.

At the dinner table, I didn't sugarcoat it. "What exactly do you see in Jason?"

Her cheeks flushed, her eyes lighting up with the unmistakable glow of a new romance. "He treats me so well."

"When I first started, I didn't know anything. He showed me the ropes and helped review my reports. Whenever I work late, he drives over to pick me up and never complains."

"He's really good at his job, too. He got a great performance review last year. His team lead said he's the most promising young engineer in the department, that he'll be a staff software architect one day. And he's so driven. He stays home on weekends teaching himself new frameworks, saying he wants to build a solid life in Seattle through his own hard work."

The sweeter she sounded, the heavier my heart felt.

Seeing her judgment clouded by infatuation, I knew nothing I said right now would get through to her. She would just think I was picking on him.

"Mom, do you have a problem with him?" Emily asked softly, sensing the chill in my silence.

I didn't answer immediately.

If I told her the truth now, she'd just think I was being harsh. But I couldn't sit back and watch her sink into a toxic relationship.

Right then, my phone buzzed.

A text message. The sender was Jason Reed.

It didn't take a genius to figure out he had snooped through Emily's phone when she wasn't looking and pulled my number from her contacts.

I opened the text.

Sorry I couldn't give you a proper welcome today. Are you free for lunch tomorrow? My treat. I'd love to get to know you better.

I stared at the screen and let out a cold laugh.

If he was going to serve himself up on a silver platter, I was going to play this game to the bitter end. I would make him answer for every single lie.

And I would make sure Emily saw exactly what kind of man she had fallen for.

I typed my reply:

Sure. Tomorrow at noon. You pick the place.