Sometimes the best plans hide the darkest truth.

“She's a feisty one. Would totally be a thorn in your flesh, Sir.” I didn’t need to turn around to know Miss Denver was standing behind me, arms crossed like she always did when she was about to dissect my choices.

Most times, if not all the time, it always felt like she was my mother.

It took every will power in me not to fire her whenever she was being too nosy.

And my mother? Heavens bless her late soul.

“So,” I cleared my throat, turning to face her, my voice dry but curious, “you really think using her to save face was the smart play? Or am I just throwing pieces onto a board I don’t fully understand?”

“It’s a move. A risky one, but it buys time. And it saves the company too. The question is, how long can you keep pretending the pieces fit? She looks tough.” There was definitely no doubt in that.

“Time’s not exactly on my side. I'll keep her in check long enough for the media to move on to another story and then off she goes. I could only wonder how Hildie must be feeling.” Miss Denver kept her hands at her back as I picked up my phone to call Hildie.

There hadn't been enough time to discuss all of this and I loved her and I was practically sure that she was devastated right now.

“What are you doing?” Miss Denver asked as I was about dialing Hildie's number and I raised a brow, lifting my eyes to meet hers.

“Miss Denver. You're not thinking of prying into my personal space, are you? Your job is to advise, not pry. Forget that again and you'll be replaced before you can even blink.” I warned and she cleared her throat taking a step back.

“Apologies, Mr Voss. Though you and I know I'm not that easy to replace. There are females swooning for this position I admit, but you also don't need anyone that would try to seduce you. In your benefit, I could never have any interest in you. I prefer my men manly.” I nearly choked on my own saliva as I glared up at her.

She gets on my last fucking nerve every time she gets the chance.

“Are you implying that I'm not manly?” Well firstly, that question should have never come out of my mouth.

“I mean, if you have to ask…” She trailed off, shrugging and I rolled my eyes, lighting a cigarette, dropping my phone back onto the table.

Right, I have to call Hildie. She had bawled and cried, practically wailed when her father proposed the idea of using Saskia as a way to clear this off, the idea of me marrying her sister must have scared her real bad.

I picked it up again and Miss Denver's hands wrapped over my wrist again.

“Before you call the love of your life, there's something I'm certain you would love to see.” She stated and I sighed.

“That can wait.” I said simply.

“Very well then, Miss Hildie Whitmore would definitely not take the call.” Miss Denver muttered and I was going to ask what she meant but the call was already ringing.

First beep, second ring, third…fourth and directly to voice mail.

Is Hildie mad at me? I mean she should be but—

I dialed the number a second time. Same thing. She has to be throwing a tantrum. I had asked the priest to skip the exchanging of kiss because of Hildie and secondly? I wouldn't lay a finger on another Whitmore that wasn't Hildie. She was all I wanted. And I tried to make sure she knew that.

“You skipped the exchanging of kisses at the altar just to suck on her lips like she was snack back at home?” Stupid inner voice!

That was to shit her the fuck up! She talked too much for my own liking, she was always talking. That had been the first thing I noticed from the first time I met her. She just couldn't stop.

I tried Hildie's number a third time and it rang. 3 beeps and went directly to voicemail again. Am I loosing her? I'm not sure I would be able to handle that.

“Denver? You were saying?” She cleared her throat loudly and set down a tab right in front of me and I watched with a scrunched up face yet keen interest.

It was Hildie. She was at a party. Drinking. Smoking. Looking like she's having a really wild night.

First of all, I never knew the daughter of the Whitmore's could go to these kind of clubs.

And is she kissing a man right now while sitting on his ever so visible and protruded dick?

“Take that away from me.” I grunted.

Miss Denver watched me carefully as I stared at the screen, my thumb hovering over Hildie’s name like it could erase what I’d just seen.

“You still want to believe she’s some innocent princess caught up in all this?” Denver’s voice was deceptively mild as she reached past me and scrolled the video.

“Look again.” She urged, tapping play.

This time it wasn’t a kiss or any of the wild activities teenagers love to attend..

It was Hildie, laughing , the sound light and careless, leaning into a group of girls around her.

“You seriously thought I’d settle for Voss if he weren’t loaded? I mean, he's handsome but handsome doesn't cut it.” Hildie’s voice was sharp even over the bass of the club.

One of her friends squealed, and someone else asked, “So you’re really gonna marry him then?”

“Of course. My dear sister did all the groundwork with him already. Once she’s out of the picture, he’ll be easy pickings. Men like him? They don’t look twice at girls like me unless we play the game right.”

The recording stopped, leaving a ringing silence in my office.

Denver didn’t say a word at first. She didn’t need to.

The weight of what I’d just seen was louder than any commentary she could make.

And she was absolutely good at making commentaries.

“You can chase her, discard the other Whitmore daughger or you can finally stop lying to yourself about who she really is.”

And for a moment, I thought I could feel my ribs tighten around my heart, locking it up before it had a chance to make another foolish choice.

“Denver, I don't care about the scandal. I want the other Whitmore daughter out of my house and I'm cutting ties with the Whitmore's as well.” I grunted, my teeth jittering and Denver placed a hand on my shoulder.

“You mean Saskia? Don't you see the full picture? She might be a Whitmore but it's only the name. She's not like them, maybe because she was adopted. That's why her father was ever so ready to help you use her to clean up the dirt even though he knew she was adopted.” I turned to look at Miss Denver immediately with confusion written all over my face.

“Don't you think, Mr Voss, that this scandal was just too hasty and good to be true? What if…?” She trailed off.

“She's adopted?”

“I'm adopted?”

I turned to the doorway and found Saskia, standing there, mortified, looking like a shadow of her own self.