My heart started to pound in my chest. Had Trent tied Carson to the bogus charges on my card? I wanted to run after them, but I forced myself to play it cool. It had been weeks since my meeting with Trent about my credit card. Frankly, I’d been so consumed with the New Dawn development and Nick, I hadn’t given it much thought.

The meeting broke up, and I pulled Luz aside. “I hope you won’t let what Carson said bother you. He was wrong. Your design is brilliant.”

She flushed with pleasure. “No, it’s all right. His ability to hurt me dried up a long time ago.”

“Good,” I said.

I was walking back to my office with an armful of materials when Carson stepped out of Trent’s office. He began to clap slowly. It was the sort that let you know the person doing the clapping really despised you.

“You must be so proud of yourself,” he said. “You did it. You got rid of your competition. Well done, by the way.”

Of all the things I had expected Carson to say, that was not it. I squinted at him.

“What?”

“It took me a second, but I finally figured it out while sitting in there being accused of things I didn’t do. You’re threatened by me,” he said.

A surprised laugh burst out of me. “I’m sorry, what are you talking about?”

“Forget it, Annabelle,” he said. “You’re not that good of an actress. When the truth comes out, and it will, everyone will know exactly what sort of cold, calculating bi—”

“Is there a problem here?” Sophie appeared in the doorway to her office.

If Carson had been angry with me, his temper dialed up to volcanic when she appeared.

“It was you, wasn’t it?” he raged. “You put her up to it.”

Sophie frowned at him. “Up to what exactly?”

“You’ve hated me from the first moment we met,” he said. “Probably because I didn’t fall at your feet like Miguel did.”

Sophie looked bored. “Carson, you are—and I can’t emphasize this enough—making an ass of yourself.”

“Who cares?” He raised his arms in the air. “Tell me, Annabelle, did you think the whole scheme up by yourself, or did she tell you to do it? Is that how you got your job here?”

As Carson’s voice rose, people were poking their heads out of their office doors. The workroom had come to a complete standstill as everyone watched the unfolding drama. I was only surprised I didn’t hear the sound of popcorn being made.

“I’m going to my office now,” I said.

Carson stepped in my way. He was taller than me and decidedly more muscular. It occurred to me that he could definitely do me some damage if he chose.