by Rachel Dylan
“Oh, there’s no need to cry, Stace. Of course we aren’t firing you. You’re a superstar. Which actually brings me to the other reason why I dropped by tonight to chat.”
“I don’t know if anything can top the news you already gave me.”
Morena grinned. “This isn’t meant to top that offer, but merely to supplement it.”
“All right.” What else possibly could Morena have to say? At this point, it didn’t even matter. She was on cloud nine.
“Layton and I would like to personally invite you over to an Optimism meeting at Layton’s house Saturday night.”
“Really? What kind of meeting is it?”
“This will be more of a social gathering. Optimism business will be discussed just because it always is. But this will be a time just to get together and hang out as a group of like-minded people.”
“Who all will be there?” Her mind raced with all the possibilities. Would this be an intimate gathering, or some huge party?
“The key Optimism people, plus some other friends of Layton’s in the community.”
“That sounds exciting.”
“Oh, it is most exciting. But I just wanted to talk to you about it before it happened, to prepare you for some things that might be discussed.”
“Like what?” Her curiosity was further piqued by Morena’s statement.
Morena reached out and grabbed her hand. “Can I trust you, Stace?”
She’d noticed that she’d become Stace lately with Morena instead of Stacey. “Sure. I hope I haven’t done anything to make you think I wasn’t trustworthy. Because if I have, I’d love the opportunity to correct that.”
Morena shook her head, tossing her blond curls back and forth. “No, no. It’s just that what I’m about to tell you is highly sensitive. And even if you decide you’re not up for it, you need to be able to keep all Optimism business to yourself. You might not even remember that when you took on the internship you signed a NDA.”
“NDA?” What in the world had she signed?
“Oh, forgive me. I’ve been around the lawyers for this lawsuit too long. An NDA is a Non Disclosure Agreement. It basically says that whatever you see, hear, read, etcetera, about Optimism while you’re employed by the company, you must keep confidential. Meaning you couldn’t go out with one of your friends today and talk to them about what Optimism is working on or doing.”
She nodded. “All right. I think that makes sense. I haven’t been babbling about my work to anyone.”
“Good, good. But this goes beyond what strictly happens in the Optimism office. The NDA also covers outside of the office events sponsored by Optimism. Like the one this weekend at Layton’s house.”
“Don’t worry about me. My lips are sealed.” After she said the words, though, it occurred to her that she wouldn’t be able to tell anyone at the church about things she witnessed from here on out. Would that even be a problem? Did she even want to tell the church? No. She’d been dodging all their calls and ignoring the emails from Sofia. Right now she was thinking about this totally amazing opportunity that had just dropped right in her lap.
“Well, then, taking you on your word, I just wanted to give you a little information to prepare you for the event. As you know, Optimism is a New Age company. You’ve been learning all the facets of our business from finance to technology to marketing. Right?”
“Yes, I’m really enjoying it, too.”
“But you also realize that as a group we also have other interests. For instance, this spell book.” Morena picked up the book. “This book has a lot in it that is of interest to Optimism. And when I say Optimism, I’m not just talking about the business. You need to start thinking of Optimism in a bigger way.”
“How so?”
“We’re like a family. A community of people who enjoy the same things. Who believe in the same thing. Even if those beliefs aren’t exact, all of our members have an interest in the New Age activities that the company then supports. Am I making sense so far?”
“I think so,” she replied. Although she wasn’t exactly sure where Morena was going with this. It was like she felt like Morena was trying to say something without exactly spelling it out for her.
“So while we’re at this meeting, we’re going to discuss things about the company and about New Age activities. Those things may include things from the spell book or other aspects of witchcraft. They could also encompass spiritual elements.”
“Spiritual elements,” she whispered.
“Yes. You know what I’m talking about, right?” Morena put her hand on Stacey’s shoulder.
“Yes. Does everyone in Optimism believe in those spiritual elements?”
Morena laughed. “That’s a tricky question. At Optimism, within our believer community, we use the New Age terminology very loosely. Much more loosely than we do on the business side. On the corporate side, we’re selling a product. People have expectations for what that product will be and how it will be marketed. But on the purely spiritual side of things it’s a bit different. Everyone believes in the spiritual realm yes. But we aren’t exactly always all on the same page about how best to go about things. We have a part of our group which focuses almost exclusively on witchcraft. Then we have a group that is more attuned to other things, and it’s that group that I wanted to make sure you weren’t caught off guard by.”
Her heartbeat started pounding. Her apartment started to feel even smaller than it already was. Because she knew where Morena was about to go with this conversation. And talk about being conflicted. “What group are you referring to?”
“Those that prefer less New Age type philosophies and are more traditionalist.”
“Traditionalist in what?”
“Demonic activities.” Morena said with a straight face. It was as if she hadn’t just said something that would be outrageous to most people. But no, Morena wasn’t fazed.
She didn’t respond immediately.
“I can see the wheels churning in the brilliant mind of yours. Talk to me, Stace.”
“Can I be honest with you?”
“Of course.”
“I’m really not that into the demonic aspects of things. It just seems a bit dangerous to me. I find myself drawn much more to the witchcraft and spells and learning about that.”
Morena nodded. “That is not going to be a problem. Like I said, we have a solid foundation of people who think just like that. I’m only telling you this now so you aren’t surprised when activities or discussions come up that reference demonic activity.”
“What about you and Layton?”
Morena smiled. “I’m open to anything, but as you could probably tell my specialty is witchcraft. Layton on the other hand has a very strong connection to the demonic forces. It’s really one of the things that makes him such a successful leader of the group and the business itself.”
She shrunk back on the couch a little bit.
“Stace, you have nothing to be afraid of. If the demonic part isn’t your thing, you won’t ever be forced into it. Layton will not think less of you at all. He is excited about you exploring your spiritual talents however you want. He has really high hopes for you.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“I’ve laid enough on you for one night. Think about it all. The scholarship, working at Optimism and the social event Saturday night. I can answer any questions you think of tonight at work tomorrow. How does that sound?”
Stacey looked at Morena. The woman was beautiful, so put together, and so kind to her. It was hard to believe that any harm could ever come to her from Morena. “Thank you so much. You’ve given me a lot to think about. But I’m super excited about this scholarship and for potentially working at Optimism.”
“As you should be.” Morena stood up and walked to the door. “I’ll see you in the office tomorrow afternoon. I’m working at Indigo in the morning.”
Stacey closed the door behind Morena. Where did she go from here?
**
Grant had invited Layton to his office Thursday afternoon. Grant’s expert had worked all night reviewing and analyzing Blake’s report. He was given access to Nina Marie’s computer under supervision on Thursday morning to conduct his own analysis.
And while Grant’s expert had layered it through a bunch of technical language, the bottom line was evident. The email had been altered on Nina Marie’s desktop in the Astral Tech office. Just like Blake had said.
Now Grant was left with a huge mess to clean up. The first thing he had to do was to confront Layton. Depending on how Layton handled things, Grant seriously considered withdrawing from the litigation. It wasn’t always easy for a lawyer to withdraw, but under these circumstances he was more than justified.
What was he going to do? Is this the point where if he were a Christian that he would pray? It was all so new to him. He didn’t really know, but it certainly felt like he needed some help and guidance right now.
It occurred to him in that moment that he had no idea how to pray. He had heard Olivia and Pastor Dan pray. He’d even seen people praying on TV and in movies. But the act of uttering a prayer himself seemed beyond daunting. Yeah, he was all alone in his office, but what if he messed it up?
Then he thought back to his first jury trial. He was so nervous that he got sick before he walked into the courtroom. But then once he started his opening statement and looked into the eyes of the jurors, the nerves and worries faded away. He had been prepared. He just had to execute.
Why couldn’t he think of this in the same way? While he was nowhere near as prepared to pray as he was to take a case to trial, he had put in a good bit of effort in reading and thinking about things. It was time to try this.
God, I’m new at this, as you know. If You would’ve told me a year ago that I’d be sitting in my office praying right now, I would’ve told You that You were crazy. But here I am. I’m still not sure of everything, and I have a lot of questions. But I am sure that I’m still interested in learning more, and right now I need Your help. I’ve gotten myself into a precarious situation, and I need Your guidance to shepherd me through this client meeting. Amen.
He let out a breath. It surely wouldn’t win any awards for best prayer, but it was a start, and he felt good knowing he had tired. Maybe next time would be easier.
His intercom buzzed.
“Grant, Mr. Alito is here to see you.”
“Please send him back, Cindy.”
He had to keep it together. This was going to be one of the most awkward and intense conversations he’d ever had with a client.
Layton walked in looking every part the suave CEO. Today sporting a black designer suit and gray striped tie.
“Grant, I could tell by your message that this was a pretty urgent meeting.”
“Have a seat.” Grant motioned for him to take the chair across from the desk.
“So what has you all agitated today, Grant?”
Stay calm, he reminded himself. “Both experts have reviewed the computer forensic evidence regarding the email in question.”
Layton smiled. “Great, and what do they have to say?”
“It’s not great at all actually. Both experts agree that the email was digitally altered, and that the alteration took place on Nina Marie’s desktop computer inside the Astral Tech office.”
Layton huffed. “That’s impossible. There’s no way they could prove such a thing.”
Grant leaned forward in his chair. “Layton, it’s time to get real with me. Not only can the experts show that fact, they also agree on a window of time when the alteration occurred. Only two people associated with Optimism went inside the Astral Tech office during that time. There are security cameras to show that only you and I were there. I know for a fact, I didn’t do it. Which leaves you, Layton.”
“That’s crazy.”
Grant pounded his fist on the desk. “Stop playing games.”
Layton let out a loud and dramatic sigh. “I’m not playing games. This is just the way it has to be for us to continue.”
“Why in the world would you do such a thing?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Layton continued to deny his involvement. He was even more slick than Grant had given him credit for.
“We don’t need to have you fabricating evidence to win. Don’t you see we had a strong case, and you just blew it through your stupid move.”
“You’re insulting your client. That doesn’t seem very professional of you.”
“And it’s not professional of you to lie and steal.” He knew then and there what he had to do. “I’m sorry, Layton. But given these set of highly irregular facts, I’ll be filing a motion to withdraw from the case. I’ll hand it to the judge tomorrow at the hearing. I more than think he would understand when he finds out you fabricated evidence.”
Layton leaned forward in his chair. His face now deadly serious and his blue eyes focused on Grant like laser beams. “Let’s get one thing straight right now, Grant. You will not file that motion tomorrow.”
“Why wouldn’t I? You deliberately deceived me, made me file a motion that was based upon false evidence—evidence that you created yourself by illegal means. No sane lawyer would stay on a case like that.”
Layton crossed his arms in defiance. “You don’t get it.”
“Then spell it out for me.”
“All right. You won’t withdraw from this case. You’ll go on representing Optimism.”
“This is starting to sound like a threat.”
Layton laughed. “I haven’t even started to lay out my threat yet.”
“So there is one?”
“If you try to withdraw, I’ll say that I had nothing to do with the fabrication and it was all you. That you wanted to win so badly, you needed the money and decided to take drastic action. You’re the one who said that the only two people on that tape are you and me. This will ruin you. Ruin your entire career. You will be disbarred.”
“It will be my word against yours.”
“Ah, but you can’t violate attorney client privilege.”
“Have you ever heard of the crime-fraud exception?”
“Don’t get cute with me, Grant. I didn’t want to bring up this other matter, but I will if you start thinking you can just walk away.”
“What other matter?”
“The fact that you not only fabricated evidence, but that you’ve been cavorting with the opposing counsel.”
“Leave Olivia out of it.”
Layton raised an eyebrow. “Ah, just as I suspected. You are smitten by her. I’m sure a judge would want to hear all the tawdry details of your affair. Talk about a conflict of interest.”
“There is no affair and you know it. You’re really about to cross a line, Layton.”
Layton stood up. “I’m going to leave you with these thoughts. But I think you know me well enough now to understand that I’m not making empty threats. Be there at court tomorrow to conduct business as usual, or I’ll have no choice.”
“And just how do you expect us to get around this evidence fabrication issue?”
“They can’t prove that you or I did it. It’s as simple as that.”
“I can’t put you on the stand knowing that you’re lying.”
“You can and you will.” He stood up and walked out of Grant’s office slamming the door behind him.
Would this case be the end of his legal career?
Chapter Thirteen
Clive was dead.
Nina Marie still couldn’t wrap her head around it, but she’d gotten the news and processed it the best she could. Now was no time to mourn. No. She had to act.
So she’d called the emergency meeting on Thursday night and had everyone gathered at her house.
She thought Clive would’ve had more time, but obviously that wasn’t the case. They hadn’t even had their transitional meeting with the group that they’d discussed when he first told her that he was sick.
An
d while she was a bit sad to lose him, now she had to concentrate on solidifying her power base. They had a succession plan for the company, so there was no question that she would be CEO.
But her bigger concern was for the community of Astral Tech itself. How would everyone react to her stepping in—especially Matt, who would no doubt want the role for himself.
The crowd talked amongst themselves as everyone took a seat in her very large dining and sitting area. A few people pulled in extra chairs from the kitchen. The news of Clive’s death hadn’t been disseminated. Thus far, she was the only one that knew.
“All right, everyone,” Nina Marie said. She looked out into the audience of Astral Tech members. At this point she had their full attention, as they were no doubt curious about this emergency meeting.
“I’m afraid I have some sad news to share with you tonight.” She took a deep breath and tried to put on a face of sympathy even though she wasn’t that torn up. “Clive has passed away.”
Stunned gasps went out through the group and people started talking amongst themselves. Then Matt made eye contact with her. “What in the world happened?”
“Clive was struggling with pancreatic cancer. He kept his sickness to himself until just recently when he confided in me. He didn’t want Astral Tech’s focus to be on him right now. So he preferred that I keep his diagnosis to myself. I didn’t think he would pass away this quickly, but given the circumstances I know he was starting to suffer. So this was for the best.”
“When did he die?”
“I received word this morning. I spoke to him yesterday. He had plans to take some time off and go to St. Thomas. But obviously that didn’t happen.”
Everyone started chattering and Nina Marie gave them all a few minutes to talk. There was definitely some sadness and tears in the room. All of the Astral Tech members generally liked and respected Clive. He was a uniter, and really a fan of the big tent theory. Nothing like Layton that was for sure. But now he was gone and she had to do her best to squelch any concerns or fears ASAP.
“Okay, everyone. I know this comes as quite a shock. But I can assure you that Clive had come to terms with his situation, and that he wants nothing more than for Astral Tech to thrive and grow. Which is why I wanted to get everyone gathered together tonight. Effective immediately, I am CEO of Astral Tech. This follows this corporate succession plan that we have had in place for years. We’re going to continue to aggressively fight this lawsuit. And I become more encouraged with each passing day that we will gain a total victory.”
