Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 140604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 703(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 703(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
“Yes. I’ve done a deep dive into Jason Hart and Lola Smith,” Ruby admitted. “Here’s what I will say. According to their socials, if they broke up Lola isn’t showing it. His socials claim he’s single and ready to mingle. Vomit. Hers are all about her perfect boyfriend. She did do a teary post about sacrificing for the ones you love. I guess she meant potentially being a side piece while her boy goes and grabs a prize.”
“Olivia is not a prize to be won.”
Ruby’s voice softened. “Of course she’s not, but in that town Olivia is a bit of a controversial figure. Not for everyone, but I’m not surprised there are men who see her as nothing more than a walking bank account. I could absolutely see Lola slashing some tires, but I worry that she’s not smart enough to know how to deal with the cameras.”
He snorted. “She’s not. She’s impulsive. She doesn’t think things through at all. Honestly, if Lola did it then she would have flipped off the camera or left a note. She would have been proud of defending her man.”
“That’s the impression I got. But I wonder if there aren’t more players in this game than we imagined.”
His gut tightened because he was pretty sure Ruby was right. “Well, I didn’t realize we were playing a game, so I would agree.”
“What has Olivia told you about a woman named Jessica Fellows?” Ruby asked.
They tried to avoid talking about Olivia’s exes. She didn’t like it. “Very little. She mentioned when Scott left there was a woman involved. I suspect her name was Jessica since Gigi spits when she hears the name.”
Ruby chuckled. “Good for Gigi. I like that girl. Yes, Jessica Fellows started out working in Willow Fork and transferred to the Dallas office. She was a receptionist when she met Scott. Over the course of the next two years, he made sure she got promoted to office manager.”
“This was before I joined the company,” Garrett explained. “I never met either of them, but the office manager at the time complained a lot about whoever came before her. Apparently it wasn’t organized.”
“Jessica wasn’t into her job. She was looking to marry a wealthy man and thought being in Jack Barnes’s world would give her entry into Julian Lodge’s.”
“How do… Who asked you to look into her?”
“Sam Fleetwood,” Ruby said. “It was years ago. He suspected there was something wrong. He was right, but before he could go to his daughter with the information, Scott announced he had a new job and he took Jessica and disappeared.”
“Do you know how he lost his job?”
Ruby was quiet for a moment. “Uhm, the company he worked for was purchased and his position was no longer necessary. He was only there for a year.”
“It was an agricultural firm?” A bit of suspicion played through his head.
“Yes,” Ruby replied.
He could put some pieces together. “Who bought the company? Because I negotiated the purchase of a firm not too long ago. I even asked Lucas why we were buying it because it’s nothing we need. He said it was all for family. Does Olivia know her dad bought her ex-boyfriend’s company so he could fire him?”
“I doubt it,” Ruby said cheerfully. “She doesn’t work that side. Josh helps with acquisitions, so he would have cheered his dad on. Also, she wouldn’t have asked. When Scott left, I’m sure she knew where he went to, but after he was gone she shut him out. She almost never spoke about him. She spent that summer working from Bliss.”
She’d gone to her best friend. “I’m glad she had someone. And I’m glad Jack and Sam tried to take care of that fucker. Good for them. But I don’t see what this has to do with Jessica.”
“Well, they got engaged, but it apparently went bad. He’s a serial cheater. They didn’t actually break up until he lost his job. He dumped her after she forgave him for cheating. I think she’s obsessed with him. I wouldn’t put it past her to follow him.”
“Follow him. Like on socials?”
“Like stalking,” Ruby corrected. “So I did a check on her current whereabouts, and I do happen to know that she arrived at DFW airport five days ago. She’s not at any hotel in the Metroplex. I should know. I checked. By the way, did I mention I charge by the hour?”
Like he was worried about that. He planned to charge the company since it absolutely was a company problem. “Keep going.”
“She still has family in Willow Fork. Her parents are gone but she has two brothers, both of whom have records. Now Jessica might slash some tires, but her record is clean. I don’t know. I have a feeling this is a woman who will lose her shit over a man,” Ruby announced like it was the most pathetic thing she’d ever heard. “She did get into a bar fight over an ex while she was in college but no charges were filed.”