Chapter 231
“Exactly,” Julian said. “Liam will spin this. He’ll say your aggressive takeover destabilized the project. He’ll try to pin the blood on your hands.”
Skye looked at him. “Then we need to change the narrative.”
“And how?”
“We don’t hide,” Skye said. “We lead. Liquidate my personal holdings. Set up a relief fund for the families. I want press releases out in ten minutes stating that Sterling Corp is launching an immediate independent investigation into the materials used by Kensington Global.”
“A bold move,” Julian noted. “Turning a liability into a crusade.”
“Do it,” Skye told Ms. Davies over the phone. “And get me the purchase orders for that steel. I want to prove Liam signed off on the cheap materials.”
“Understood,” Ms. Davies said.
Skye hung up and looked at Julian. “You’re good at this.”
“I have nothing else to do,” Julian said. He pushed his plate away, untouched.
Then Skye’s phone rang again.
It was Liam.
She stared at the name on the screen. Liam Kensington.
“Don’t answer,” Julian warned.
“I have to,” Skye said, her eyes narrowing. “If I don’t, he’ll think I’m afraid. He needs to know his attempt to frame me won’t work.”
She answered. “Hello, Liam.”
“Skye,” Liam’s voice was broken. He sounded like he was crying. “Skye, please. You have to stop it. The SEC… the accident. I can’t breathe.”
“You cut the safety budget, Liam,” Skye said coldly. “You killed those people.”
“I didn’t mean to!” Liam sobbed. “I needed the money for the Gala! For Victoria! Skye, please… I’ll give you anything. I’ll sign the divorce papers. I’ll give you the house. Just tell the SEC to back off. Tell your team to stop releasing the purchase orders.”
“I can’t stop the truth,” Skye said. “You built a house of cards, Liam. Don’t be surprised when it falls.”
“I’m coming to see you,” Liam said. “We need to talk. Face to face. My lawyer’s office. Midtown. One hour. Please. For the sake of what we used to be.”
Skye hesitated. It was dangerous.
𝘕о ріrа𝘤𝘆 r𝖾𝖺𝗱 о𝗇 𝘣𝘦𝗹nоv𝗲𝗹𝘀.co𝘮
“Go,” Julian said quietly. “Take my security. End it.”
Skye looked at Julian, then back at the phone. “One hour,” Skye said. “Don’t be late.”
She hung up.
“Why?” Julian asked.
“Because,” Skye said, standing and smoothing her skirt, “I want to look him in the eye when he realizes he’s lost.”
The conference room at Vane & Associates was sterile, all glass and chrome, overlooking the city that was slowly turning against the Kensington name. Skye sat at the long table, flanked by two of Julian’s burly security guards.
Liam arrived ten minutes late. He looked like a man who had walked through hell. His suit was rumpled, stained with something that looked like egg yolk from the protest. His eyes were bloodshot.
He sat down heavily across from her.
“You look… good,” Liam said, his voice cracking.
“You look like a manslaughter suspect,” Skye replied, taking a sip of water.
Liam flinched. “It was an accident. The steel… the supplier lied to me.”
“You signed the purchase order,” Skye said. “I saw the leaked documents, Liam. You authorized the ‘Grade B’ materials.”
Liam put his head in his hands. “I was desperate. You were squeezing me from every side. The short selling… the media… I just needed to finish the building to get the cash flow.”