evidence is purely circumstantial.”
I gritted my teeth at more bullshit from the team of lawyers who were too highly paid to hurl that level of crap my way.
Maybe Mandelson saw my displeasure because his jaw tensed. “I don’t know what you want me to tell you, Mr. Astley. There simply isn’t enough proof right now. If we fire her, then we’re leaving ourselves wide open to a lawsuit.”
“I knew that already without having to waste forty minutes on this meeting,” I snapped. “I want you to find evidence.”
“Rhode covers her tracks too well.”
“How can she? She’s the least discreet person going. Two men have approached HR about her. Two. What are we supposed to do? Just turn a blind eye and let other people be attacked?” I shook my head. “Not on my watch.”
“If we’re not careful, we could trigger a #MeToo movement in the publishing industry,” my CFO, Lewis, grumbled.
“If it needs triggering,” Lizzie, my EA, muttered at my side, “then it needs triggering.”
“Can you imagine the scandal?” Lewis continued. “Either way, we need to figure out a way of keeping a lid on this.”
I wasn’t so bothered about the lid, more about the people she was targeting. Around this table, however, with my board of directors in place, I was well aware that meant less than our profit margins.
This matter was only not being swept under the carpet because of me. Rhode was too infamously famous, too big to try to take down. Everyone knew that, knew her brother was a tried-and-tested litigator who’d have her back no matter the fight, and he was just one of the Rhodes who worked in the family law firm.
I shot Lizzie a look, saw her temper was on the brink of exploding, and I arched a brow at her, warning her to keep a handle on her anger. She was the coolest, most rational member of my staff, but this was personal.
She’d helped get her brother a job at the company, and she blamed herself for what happened.
Like it was her fault Rhode was a sexual predator.
She was the only reason I even knew about any of this. Her brother had triggered a whole investigation and he wasn’t around to know that we were trying to stop someone else from being attacked.
Rubbing my eyes, I ground out, “Lewis, what you’re saying is that you’d like me to drop this because it might trigger a scandal? Isn’t it more of a scandal in the making if Astley Publishing knowingly protects a rapist? Only the fact that Lizzie knows I will see this through to the end has stopped her family from going to the press—”
“Her NDA prevents—” my CIO, Nuñez, started to grind out.
“Shut your mouth, Louellen,” I snapped back, aware that Lizzie was bristling at my side. I wouldn’t put it past her to hurl her coffee over the executive seated opposite. “Her family isn’t under any obligation to keep quiet about this. They can go to the press about what Robert went through at any time.”
Under the table, I reached over and grabbed Lizzie’s hand. Squeezing her fingers tightly, hoping to give her some strength, I watched as Nuñez sputtered, “Why would they want to bring shame on their family?”
“Shame?” My eyes widened at her. “Louellen, I’d watch your mouth if I were you. You’re an executive, and you worked hard to get here, but I’m more than capable of sending you off on a three-year-long course to become a human again.
“The only shame here is on Rhode. And then on us for not fucking finding a way to get her out of the company before she does it again.” I couldn’t help but think of Micah who was working under Rhode at that moment... Maybe that turned my tone gnarlier, nastier, because I snapped, “Mandelson, I don’t care how many detectives you have on this case. I want results. Now. Within the week minimum. I need something that will let us toss her out without leaving us open to a lawsuit.
“Lewis, you’re going to open the bank accounts to let Mandelson have the funds he needs to bankroll this, and none of you are going to bitch about it.”
The lawyer dipped his chin. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“You won’t ‘see’ anything. You’ll act. I want that evidence.”
Killian, my COO who was the head of the HR department, said, “I’ve already opened the files up to your people, Mandelson. Surely there’s something in there. Two men have come forward