Chapter 420

• Meredith leaned back in the sleek velvet booth, her wine glass catching the soft amber light of the rooftop bar. “My ex’s father he’s now Head of Corporate Compliance at Ferrimore Holdings,” she said, her tone casual but edged with meaning. “Just the other night over dinner, he mentioned they’re in the middle of a massive internal audit. They’re cleaning house, tightening up ethics protocols, and trying to restore the integrity the company had under the old CEO’s leadership. According to him, they want zero tolerance for corruption. Apparently, Samuel is now under the microscope.”
• I raised a brow, smirking. “Well, that’s a happy little twist, isn’t it?” I said, swirling the last of my old fashioned. “Though I wouldn’t be surprised if we need to wait a few days to see real movement. That scandal this morning with the influencer his supposed ‘brand ambassador’? That’s bound to have Samuel scrambling. When I met him, he couldn’t have made it clearer that he thought I didn’t belong. I wouldn’t put it past him to come looking for a ‘clarification.’ I wonder does bruising a future tech CEO’s reputation count as corporate harassment these days?”
• Meredith gave a dry laugh. “Samuel thinks he’s some kind of prodigy like a reincarnated Steve Jobs with a God complex. Ever since he was fast-tracked into the executive mentorship program by the former CEO, he’s acted like he walks on water. But if that’s the case, he should’ve kept his personal life squeaky clean. Instead, his private affairs are a mess tabloid photos of him at exclusive clubs, rumors of an affair with that influencer he tried to pass off as a legitimate partner brand rep and meanwhile, his actual fiancée? Neglected. Publicly. The fact that he offended you someone publicly engaged to a member of the Deveraux family because of her? I mean, come on. If Corporate Compliance doesn’t tear him down, the press surely will.”