He Hid Me Twelve Years and Paraded Her, So I Quit Both novel · Chapter 19 of 24

Chapter 19: The Joint Pitch

The Harlan boardroom had a long oak table and a window onto the plant, and the air smelled faintly of toasted oats.

Twelve Harlan executives sat along one side, and the chief executive sat at the head with his paper cup.

Stroud Group went first, at nine.

Everett wore a navy suit and a calm face, and he opened with a joke about breakfast that made three people smile.

He was very good, and I sat at the back of the room with Jonah and watched him be good.

"I'd like to hand you to Lacey Prentiss," Everett said at last. "She built the framework for what comes next."

Lacey stood.

Her lanyard was twisted, and her hands were not steady, and she gripped the clicker with both fists.

She clicked to the first slide, which showed the Bellamy structure in three clean boxes.

"This is the framework," she said. "I..."

The room waited.

I saw her look at Everett, and then at the table, and then at the back of the room where I was.

"I was told to say I developed this," she said. "I didn't."

Everett's smile stayed exactly where it was.

"Lacey," he said, pleasantly. "Let's stay on the deck."

"Nell Garrity built this structure," Lacey said, louder. "She built it for the Bellamy launch five years ago, and she built the Harlan pitch that won you this account. On Monday night Mr. Stroud told me to say it was mine, and he said he would sue me if I didn't."

"That is a private management conversation," Everett said.

"I recorded it."

A man at the end of the Harlan row put down his pen.

"Of course you did," Everett said, still smiling. "Lacey has been under strain. I'm afraid she's been influenced."

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