Casey POV"Brother, I have met the future, Mrs. Sullivan," Aidan says as he barges into Casey's room."Aidan, as pleased as I am that you have met your future wife, could you please remember to knock," Casey says with a sigh.Casey was getting dressed for dinner with his family after a 10–mile run and a shower to cool off. His mind is caught up in work and investigating Vincent Dillon. Dealing with his brother as he glorifies the latest woman to hold his attention for more than a minute is not Casey's idea of a good time."Oh, brother, you misunderstand me. I am not speaking about my future wife, but yours. I met Heather Winters today," Aidan says with a smirk.Casey turns around to look at his brother, who is sprawled across the couch in Casey's room in front of the fireplace. Aidan is looking smug and all too proud of himself. But all Casey can focus on is that Aidan spoke to Heather."Why were you speaking to Heather? How did you meet her? What did she say? You were nice to her, we
Heather POV"Fired? Really? Do you know what happened?""I just know what the email said. CFO Vincent Dillon has been fired from Sullivan Solutions. Effective immediately.""The guy worked for the company for 40 years and suddenly gets thrown out with no notice. Something big must have happened."Heather can hear the whole office is losing their collective minds since they got the email at 9:32 this morning. Heather has stayed in her office with the door closed to try to avoid the chaos. She is guessing Liam Sullivan found out about the embezzlement and cut Vincent loose. However, Heather won't be sharing that information with anybody. She just wishes Casey would contact her to tell her what is going on.Almost as if he heard her thoughts, Heather's phone rings and it is Casey calling."Hello. Heather Winters speaking. How can I help you?""Heather, you know it's me. There is no need for a professional greeting," Casey says while laughing."I am trying to not seem too familiar with yo
Casey's POV"That's what you are wearing on your date! Really?" Aidan cackles from the doorway."Please do not say the word date within earshot of our mother. I don't need the trouble. Besides, I am going to a basketball game with a friend. It is not a date."Tonight is just a chance for them to spend some time together and make his father think that he assigned Heather to work for him because he is interested in her. Which he is. But this is not the beginning of a beautiful love story despite his feelings."You are spending the evening with the woman you are crazy about. How is that not a date?" Aidan asks."We are just friends who both love basketball. There is nothing weird about two friends going to a game together. Plus she has never sat courtside before," Casey responds, trying to convince himself and Aidan."Why are you making such an effort with a woman if you have no plans to act on your feelings? What is really going on, Casey?" Aidan asks, trying to get his brother to open
Heather's POV"Heather, I don't have PTSD. I'm fine." Casey says sharply.Heather suddenly feels like she is walking in a minefield. She is not an expert, but she is pretty sure Casey had a panic attack. She knows he spent years in the military, so it would not be surprising that he is dealing with the after-effects. "Casey, I am not trying to pry or overstep... I'm just worried about you," Heather keeps her voice soft as she speaks to him."I appreciate that. But I have a handle on it. You don't need to worry," Casey's voice is still harsh as he replies."Casey, I care about you. Of course, I am going to worry." Heather says, her voice full of affection for the man struggling beside her.She cannot stand to see Casey in such pain. However, Heather is not sure what she can do to help him. She decides to push for a bit more information and hopes Casey won't completely shut down on her. "Casey, don't you have anyone you can talk to about all of this? A professional?"Casey lets out a
Casey's POV"What are you doing in the CFO's office, Meredith?"Casey had gotten into the office later than usual this morning. He hadn't slept well the past few nights, plagued by nightmares since the basketball game. He had finally drifted off at 4 AM but had slept through his alarm. Showing up to work late has him feeling out of sorts and the last thing he needed was to run into his ex-girlfriend."I am packing up my father's things after he was abruptly fired from the company he had worked at for more than 40 years. What are you doing here, Casey?" Meredith snipes back.Meredith is a stunning woman: a statuesque beauty with long, dark brown hair. She is wearing a figure-hugging red dress that shows off her curves without being inappropriate for the office. Casey has always known that Meredith is beautiful and used to be very affected by her body, but now he feels nothing for her. She is simply an annoyance in his day."I am here to gather any hard copies Vincent had here as I am t
Heather POV"So you must be the accountant Casey is so fond of."Heather jolts up from her computer and sees a stunningly beautiful woman standing in the doorway. Heather wishes she did not know who the woman was, but Lucy had insisted on looking into Casey's past in the tabloids and had seen plenty of pictures of him with this woman: his ex-girlfriend Meredith Dillon. "I am an accountant and I work for Casey. You can call me Heather. May I help you with something?" Heather responds, hoping this encounter will be over quickly. "I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Meredith Dillon and I am your new boss. Casey and I are sharing the CFO duties. So we are working together on all projects. That includes your little efficiency review," Meredith introduces herself with an air of superiority. "This is a nice office. Imagine my surprise when I heard that Casey had moved you up to the executive floor to an office that is adjoining his. He must really want to keep you close. You should be t
Casey's POV"Who is ready to face the torture that is a Sullivan Family Dinner!" Molly says as she barges into Casey's room.Casey and Aidan were sitting on the couch having a drink to try to relax before dealing with the rest of their family during dinner. "You say the word torture and yet you sound excited. What is going on baby sister?" Aidan asks with trepidation."I am excited because tonight we have a special guest at dinner," Molly says with joy."And who would that be?" Casey asks reluctantly, knowing he won't like the answer. "You don't know Casey? I thought she would have told you. It's Meredith. You know, your future wife. Isn't that great?" Molly says, practically bouncing in anticipation. Casey chokes a bit on his drink hearing that Meredith will be at dinner. He has been doing everything he can to avoid Meredith this week, but now he has to deal with her in his home. He wants nothing more than to skip dinner, but he does not want to deal with upsetting his mother. Cas
Heather's POV"Heather, how is the efficiency review coming along?" Casey asks as he walks into her office."Do we have to speak in code now or can I talk about what I am actually doing?" Heather responds with a sharp tone.Heather has been avoiding Casey ever since her encounter with Meredith. She is just realizing now how easy it has been to avoid him. Like he wasn't seeking her out at all. She was right to think that Meredith was telling the truth about her and Casey. It is probably for the best anyway. Heather knows she needs to stay focused on her investigation. Casey is too much of a distraction."No code needed. I've just gotten used to referring to the investigation that way. Is everything alright? You seem upset," the concern is clear in Casey's voice.Heather hates hearing Casey care. It would be so much easier to get over him if she didn't know what a good man he is. She needs to push him away to protect herself."Well, then the review is going well. I have flagged dozens o
Heather's POV"Heather! Your dreamboat boyfriend is here to see you!" Lucy exclaims from the living room,Heather drags herself out of bed to go see Casey, even though there is a large part of her that doesn't want to move. She is the new forensic accountant at JR Global and therefore is given most of the tedious grunt work. The rumors about her and Casey have carried over to the new company, and the boy's club is enjoying her misery. Heather is trying not to let it bother her though. Before her mother was killed, JR Global was her dream. They have the most impressive forensic accountants in the world and are highly sought after. Now that she has justice for her mother she can pursue her dreams. The one downside of working her dream job is that she sees far less of Casey.Heather enters the living room and sees her boyfriend sitting on the couch sharing coffee with Lucy. Those two bonded over their love of high-end coffee and Casey has been happily bribing Lucy with specialty coffee
Casey's POV"I'm so glad you're alive," Casey murmurs into Heather's ear as he holds her.Casey has no intention of letting go of Heather anytime soon. For several minutes he thought she was dead and his world ended. When he first saw her body on the pavement, he thought he was hallucinating. His feet were moving toward her before he made a conscious decision. By the time he reached her Casey realized she was badly beaten and unconscious. He must have screamed her name because Tommy and Aidan were right behind him with paramedics who quickly took over.Now, Heather is in the back of an ambulance and just waking up. They are on their way to the hospital so Heather can get the care she so desperately needs. Casey doesn't know what happened to her in that warehouse, but he can see the welts on her face and bruising on her neck. Her torso and limbs are discolored from bruises. Someone gave her a severe beating and Casey thinks it was probably his father. It hurts him to know that his own
Heather's POV20 minutes earlier"Heather, I knew you were trouble, but I have to admit you surprised me by showing up here."Heather is relieved by that statement from Liam. It means that she has not been moved to another location and is still at the warehouse address she sent to Casey and Tommy. She tries to focus on that relief rather than the fear that is threatening to consume her as she is at the mercy of the man who killed her mother."I guess I should be proud to have caught you off guard Liam. You don't mind if I call you Liam, do you? I have a feeling our relationship is about to enter a whole new level, as you torture me for information. Besides, you're my future father-in-law which basically makes us family," Heather says with confidence, trying to throw Liam off. Liam walks right up to her and grabs her by the neck. As he chokes her he pulls her up so her toes barely touch the ground. Heather starts to panic as she is unable to breathe. Liam's face is all she can see and
Casey's POV"Are you sure this is the address Heather sent you? It's just a warehouse," Aidan asks, confused."Yes, I'm sure. This is the address. We figured out that dad owns several different warehouses in the city. He bought them all with different shell companies to keep anyone from tying him to the properties. We just didn't know which one was being used for the upcoming weapons sale. Heather said she was going to try to determine which one they were using. This is the address she gave me and I trust her," Casey says, trying to remain patient as he gives his brother a brief explanation.Part of Casey is furious with Heather. His father has made it clear that he is threatened by Heather, but she keeps moving forward with the investigation. Since Liam threatened to frame her for the embezzlement she has been all the more determined to take him down. Casey understands, and he feels just as outraged. He wishes she would have waited for him to go with her."Casey, I don't see any indi
Heather's POVFreezing cold water hits Heather's face and thrusts her into consciousness."I knew you were trouble, but I had no idea you were this much trouble," a female voice speaks from behind Heather.Heather ignores the voice and takes a moment to try to figure out where she is and what is happening to her. She feels her entire body shivering. She looks down and notices that her feet are bare and she has been stripped of everything but her bra and panties. "Ignoring me won't work! You have no idea what you have stumbled onto you ignorant whore. I know you must be desperate to stay close to Casey, but going after his father is not the way to do it," Meredith Dillon sneers as she walks up to Heather and pulls at her hair for her to look up. The pain in Heather's head is making itself known. Whatever was used to knock her out certainly left its mark. She can feel blood dried in her hair and congealed at the base of her neck. However, she cannot worry about that injury right now.
Casey's POV"Casey we have to talk about dad. I don't know what is going on, but he has completely lost his mind!" Aidan says as he bursts into Casey's office. Casey had been trying to focus on his work in an attempt to keep himself calm. It seems that idea is futile as he has spent most of the morning worrying about Heather. Now, his brother is coming with more problems."What is happening now? And just tell me the facts, Aidan. I don't have the energy to deal with your dramatic embellishment," Casey says wearily. "Dad is telling the entire public relations department to prepare for a major press conference in three days. When I asked him what it was about, he told me he is going to announce that he uncovered a major plot against him and that the individuals involved stole millions of dollars from the company. He assured me that the accounts will not be missing a single cent by the time we hold the press conference. Also, he says there will be several high-profile arrests and I sho
Heather's POV"Casey, what are you doing here?" Heather asks as she opens the door.Heather is shocked to see Casey at her door. He looks absolutely shattered and is unable to talk. She guides him through the doorway and sits him on her couch. Casey seems completely detached and Heather knows something terrible must have happened. She looks out the door to check for threats or anyone watching, but she does not see anyone. After closing and locking the door, Heather returns to Casey. She can tell that whatever happened has messed with his mind. He is staring off into the distance and his breathing is becoming erratic. A panic attack is building. "Casey, talk to me. I'm worried," Heather says as she rubs her hands up and down his arms. When he is unable to respond, Heather turns to the methods that have helped with his panic attacks before."I'm here, Casey. You aren't alone. Remember the breathing exercises we have been working on together. You are safe with me in my apartment. When
Casey's POV"Casey, please come in and sit down. We have a lot to discuss," Liam says with an evil look on his face.Casey follows his father's order and sits down. He does not know what this meeting is about, but he is feeling uneasy about the glee in his father's eyes. Liam is acting as if he has won a major victory and Casey is concerned about what that victory is.It was late at night and he was getting ready to leave when he got the call that his father needed to see him. Immediately. Casey has had a bad feeling from the moment of his summoning. Recently, Liam has been making every effort to keep Casey out of the loop. Summoning now cannot mean anything good.Liam starts speaking as soon as Casey sits down in front of him."Casey, I'm glad you're here. We have a problem. Something that could destroy this company and our family.""What happened?" Casey says immediately concerned.Casey's mind is racing, trying to figure out what has the potential to cause such damage. He has been
Heather's POV"What the hell are you doing in my office?" Heather says her voice raised with anger.Liam Sullivan just smirks at her in response. She just endured lunch with Casey and his mother and sister. Now she finds Liam sitting at her desk."This is my company, Ms. Winters. I can go wherever I like, including your office. I should say especially your office. Since you are overstepping in your efficiency review," Liam's voice is cold as he speaks.Heather is instantly terrified. She knew Liam could figure out that she is investigating him, but she convinced herself that she was safe. Her mother was killed because she was a witness who saw too much. He could just as easily kill her. However, she has to remain calm. She doesn't know how much Liam knows and cannot afford to give anything away."How is it I am overstepping, sir? I believe everything I have done has fallen within the directive given to me by your son," Heather says, keeping her voice even.Liam stalks around her desk