The Rule Book (Rule Breakers #1)(77)
Something on the TV broke through our moment. A lady in a peplum power suit said the one single word that could ever hold my complete attention—Starr.
I focused on the show. “Allegations against Starr Media have been addressed personally by Brogan Starr, CEO of Starr Media. He spoke in a press conference earlier today,” said the woman.
It panned to a clip of Brogan speaking into about twelve microphones at a podium. Cameras flashed as he gripped the sides of the stand, his knuckles turning white as the skin strained against his bones. Worry lines creased his forehead, but a smile remained plastered on his face. I knew him well enough that this wasn’t a genuine grin. No dimples, no little lines in the corners of his eyes. But even so, he still took my breath away. The man was gorgeous, and my heart ached for him and his company.
“Starr Media is cooperating with authorities in the investigation of the leak of unapproved photos on five different accounts. We have found the perpetrators, and they have been taken into custody. Causality and motives are still under investigation.” He paused and looked into the camera, his gaze heavy with hurt. “I want to personally apologize to all of the clients affected by this tragedy. I also want to say that I deeply regret that an employee of Starr Media was wrongfully accused and punished because of this.”
Was he apologizing to me? To my knowledge, no one else had been let go. And I was the only one who’d been personally screwed over.
I stared raptly at the TV as he continued. “If it weren’t for those employees, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I’ve hurt someone I deeply care about and I can’t even begin to ask for forgiveness. I don’t think I can even forgive myself for my hasty actions.”
He paused and looked down thoughtfully at his hands clasped atop the podium. “As the wise Abraham Lincoln once said, ‘The people when rightly and fully trusted will return the trust.’ This person gave me their trust to be a leader…and more, and I was not there in the moment of need. And because of that, I lost a truly valuable asset. A person who taught me trust is a strength, not a weakness. I should have been more vigilant before jumping to conclusions, and I assure you, that this will never happen again.” He looked directly into the camera, and his eyes held more sadness than I ever thought possible. “Thank you,” he said, more emotions running through those two words than I could name. He collected his notecards and turned to exit the stage.
All I could do was stare as camera lights flashed on his retreating figure. He’d just apologized to me on national television. Not naming me personally, but I knew it was for me. I pressed my lips together to keep them from quivering. That was one of the nicest things he could have done. He could have easily left that out of his speech, but he didn’t.
“Wasn’t that your dickhole boss?” my mom cut in.
“Mom!” I put my hands on my hips. That was the last word that would have come to mind if I’d been asked to describe him right now. I didn’t know if I’d ever get a chance to talk to him again, but at least I had closure in the fact that he knew it wasn’t me, and he felt bad enough about it to publicly announce it.
“Isn’t he one, though? He fired you without even blinking an eye.”
“It isn’t like that. He has a company to run. He had to save his life’s dream,” I argued.
“He should have had all his facts straight before acting so rashly.” She frowned, shutting off the TV. “That’s what a real leader does.”
“She’s right, you know.” A familiar voice came from the doorway.
I turned and spotted Brogan leaning against the doorframe in a pair of jeans and a fleece zip-up. My whole body froze. What was he doing here, in a hospital hundreds of miles away from his home? I had to blink a few times just to make sure I wasn’t imagining the whole thing. By the third blink, I was sure that yes, he was in fact here, and that he probably thought I had an eye twitch problem.
“Dickhole is a great word to describe my actions.” He strode over to my mom and extended a hand. “Hi, Mrs. Taylor. I’m Brogan Dickhole Starr.”
She shifted her gaze from me to Brogan, skepticism in her eyes. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I wanted to personally apologize for my dickholery, and to meet the person who raised such a smart, business-savvy woman.”
She turned to me and murmured, “This one’ll charm the pants right off of you.” Then she shifted her attention back to him. “I assume you also came to compensate Lainey for time lost being out of work the past couple days, and to assure her she’ll have a position ready for her return on Monday?”
“Mom!” Who said I wanted to go back to Starr Media? Even if I really did, it wouldn’t be the same. People would look at me differently, and even if my name had been cleared, the damage to my reputation had been done. There was no coming back from that.
A bemused expression flitted across his lips. “Are you bartering for a job on behalf of your daughter?”
Even with IVs in her arm, Mom was still able to pull off a boy, you’re messing with the wrong woman look, complete with silent finger snaps. God, I loved this woman. “Where do you think she got her business sense from?”
“Undoubtedly from you.” He smiled. “I’d also like to congratulate you on your final chemo treatment. Lainey’s kept me posted on your progress throughout, and I’m so glad the treatment was effective.”