“Dude, you got royally screwed. I couldn’t even believe it when I heard the news. I’ve been waiting for you to call.”

“I needed a couple of days. It wasn’t only the company that screwed me over.”

“I heard that, too. I didn’t know that you and Sasha were a couple.”

“No one did. We kept it quiet for obvious reasons.”

“I have to say, though, I wondered a few times when I saw you two together. There was definitely something…”

Whatever it had been was definitely over now. Adam thought about the morning he’d spent with Abby. Now that was something—something sweet and fun and sexy—and yet pure, too. He already knew with one-hundred-percent certainty that she’d never treat him the way Sasha had.

“Adam? Still there?”

He realized he’d punched out on Rick. “Yeah, I’m here.”

“What do you want to do?”

“I want to fight for what’s mine.”

“Right there with you. Since I had a feeling you might say that at some point, we’ve been all over it for a couple of days now. I think you’ve got a very solid case, and with your approval, we’ll move forward with filings.” Rick outlined the strategy his team had put together to fight Adam’s ouster from the company. They had come to the conclusion that discrediting Sasha was the first step in what might be a long battle.

It would get ugly, Adam thought. Someone he’d once cared deeply about would become his enemy. If he succeeded in regaining control of the company, he’d have a mountain to climb in restoring CSI’s reputation in the business community while also repairing the damage done to the morale of their workforce. The question became—how could he not pursue it?

“Do it,” he said to Rick. However it turned out, he’d figure out the way forward the same way he always had—one step at a time.

“I’ll keep you posted.”

Adam ended the call and took a few minutes to regain his equilibrium and then got up and continued on to Grant’s house. He pounded on the door for several minutes before Grant appeared with a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair dripping.

“What the hell?” he asked Adam as he pushed open the door to let him in.

“Thought you were sleeping the day away again.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, but I’ve been up since eight and actually getting some work done, which is a welcome relief.”

It was a welcome relief to Adam, too, to hear that Grant was having a better day. “That’s good news.”

“You know it. Want something to drink?”

“I could use a drink drink, if you’ve got anything.”

Grant stopped and gave Adam an inquisitive look. “What’s that all about?”