Wreck Me (Savage Bosses)

Chapter Fifteen

Archer

Unusual Suspect

I can’t stand this any longer.

Mason has been screwing with Tahani’s project, undermining everything she’s poured her heart and soul into. And now, it's time to bring it all into the light. I won’t let anyone sabotage the future of Iconic, especially not someone on the inside. I have done the one thing I said I would never do during an acquisition, I’ve become attached to the company, so much so that Iconic will be my new home office.

I send a quick message to Tahani, telling her to meet me in the conference room in ten minutes, then tap the intercom.

“Grace, Mason, conference room. Now.”

The air in the room feels thick with tension by the time we’re all seated. Grace is at her usual spot, looking sharp and composed, while Mason leans back in his chair, his cocky attitude still hanging on despite the fact that he’s clearly cornered. Tahani walks in last, her eyes locking onto mine for reassurance before she takes her seat. The moment she sits, I start.

“We’ve got a problem,” I say, my voice cold and direct. “Tahani’s project, Zeenith, has been intentionally destroyed. Changes were made to the code. Delays were caused. And the person responsible,” I glance sharply at Mason, “is sitting in this room.”

Mason’s smirk falters, but not for long. “What are you talking about?” he asks, leaning forward, trying to project confidence. “I don’t know why I’m here. I have no idea what you’re saying.”

I slam a folder onto the table, filled with the evidence our IT team gathered. “You’ve been logged into the system after hours, Mason. You’ve been making changes to Zeenith’s code, changes that were meant to destabilize the project.”

The room goes silent. Grace’s eyes widen as she turns toward Mason. Tahani sits stiffly in her seat, her hands clenched into fists.

“Mason?” Grace says, her voice low, disbelief coloring her tone. “Is this true?”

Mason shifts uncomfortably but still tries to hold onto his arrogance. “This is ridiculous. Someone else must’ve used my credentials. I didn’t touch the code.”

“I have the logs that show your user ID logging into Zeenith, Mason. I also have the video footage that shows you leaving the building minutes after your user ID logs out of Zeenith,” I say, cutting through his lies. “You’re caught. Don’t make this worse for yourself by denying it.”

His face tightens, but before he can speak, I turn to Grace. “And you. How did you not notice that your direct report was pulling this kind of stunt? You’re the supervisor. You should’ve caught this. It’s your responsibility to pull logs and see who’s logging into what.”

Grace’s expression turns defensive. “Mr. Gates, I had no idea he was doing this. I’ve been focused on other projects. I trusted Mason—”

“And that’s the problem,” I say sharply. “You trusted the wrong person.”

Tahani's voice, though steady, carries a sharp edge of frustration. “I've been locked out of Zeenith. My access was revoked by someone with admin privileges. Who could have done that?” she directs toward Grace.

I take a breath, trying to rein in my rising anger. “We’re getting closer. Mason didn’t act alone, and his accomplice will be revealed during this meeting.”

Grace shifts uncomfortably in her seat. “I hope you’re not implying that I had something to do with it.”

I lean back, my mind racing. There’s only one person in this building besides me who has the level of admin access to block Tahani. And I can’t ignore the growing suspicion that’s been nagging at me.

I tap the intercom again.

“Regina, I need you in the conference room.”

Tahani shoots me a questioning look, but I hold up a hand. Grace glances at me, confused, while Mason’s eyes narrow, sensing something coming.

A few moments later, Regina enters the room, her expression calm, but as soon as she sees the tension in the air, her posture stiffens.

“You needed me, Archer?” she asks, her voice steady.

I stand up, pacing slowly as I let my gaze sweep over everyone in the room before settling on her. “Yes, Regina. I need to ask you something.”

She shifts slightly, glancing at Grace and then at Mason, before meeting my eyes again. “Of course. What is it?”

I take a step closer to her, my voice dropping lower. “I had to check to make sure, but you’re the only other person in this company, besides me, with the admin privileges required to lock Tahani out of Zeenith. Grace can access it, and she can make certain changes, but she can’t lock an engineer out. You, however, can.”

Her eyes widen just a fraction, but she quickly recovers, her mask of calm slipping back into place. “I don’t know what you’re suggesting, Archer, but—”

“Cut the bullshit,” I snap, my patience gone. “I know it was you.”

The room falls silent. Mason’s eyes dart between us, Grace is frozen, and Tahani’s breath catches.

Regina’s hands clench at her sides. “Archer, please. I didn’t—”

“Don’t lie to me,” I say, stepping even closer, my voice low and dangerous. “After all these years of loyalty, you just throw it away like this. Why? What did you gain from helping Mason sabotage Tahani’s work?”

Regina’s calm exterior falters, and for the first time, I see the cracks in her facade. She takes a shaky breath, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“Years of loyalty? What would you know about that, Archer?" Her voice trembles with raw emotion. "You put her over me, and now you want to lecture me about loyalty?”

My brow furrows, confusion mixing with my anger. “What are you saying, Regina? I’ve always respected you as my assistant, always valued your work.”

She lets out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. “As your assistant,” she emphasizes, the word dripping with disdain. “That’s all I’ve ever been to you, isn’t it? But it wasn’t always like this, Archer. You used to need me. I was the one you trusted, the one who had your back. But now... now you need her.”

“What are you talking about?” I ask, my patience wearing thin. None of this is making any sense.

“You need me less and less, and quite frankly, I... I felt threatened,” she admits, her voice trembling with frustration and something else—something darker. “Ever since Tahani came into the picture, you’ve needed me less and less. I’ve been by your side for years, Archer, and suddenly she’s here, taking over everything. You don’t need me anymore.”

I stand there, stunned by her words. "Regina, that's not—"

"Don't act like you don't know," she interrupts, her voice rising with the intensity of her confession. "You've been so wrapped up in her, you didn’t even see what was happening right under your nose. I've loved you for years, Archer. And then she shows up, and everything changes. You barely look at me anymore, barely speak to me the way you used to."

My stomach tightens. This isn’t just about loyalty or work. This is something much more personal.

“Regina, I—”

"I know we were never... romantic," she stammers, wiping away a tear that finally falls. "But there was always this... this connection. And then Tahani comes in, and you’re different. You light up around her. You give her things you never gave me. You gave her a part of you I never got to have."

I stare at her, the gravity of her confession sinking in. "Regina, I never meant for you to feel—"

"I don’t need your pity," she snaps, her voice bitter. "I fell in love with Mason, Archer. I thought maybe he could fill the void you left. And when he told me what he was doing, I helped him because I wanted you to see that you still need me . I wanted you to see that I wasn’t just some assistant you could toss aside.”

Her words hang heavy in the air, and for a moment, the room is silent. I feel the anger, the betrayal, but beneath it all, there's a deep sense of disappointment.

“Regina,” I say softly, shaking my head. “You followed your heart, but you let it lead you down a path of destruction. You’ve jeopardized your career, everything we built, over a lie.”

She looks at me, her face crumbling. “I just... I just wanted to matter to you.”

“You did matter, Regina. You were a great asset to my team," I say firmly. "But now, you’ve made a choice, and there are consequences. Loyalty is earned, and trust... once it's broken, it's almost impossible to fix.”

Tears slip freely down her cheeks now, and for a brief moment, I see the woman who once stood by my side. But that woman is gone, and she’s been replaced by someone I don’t recognize anymore.

“You need to leave,” I say quietly, the finality in my voice unmistakable.

Regina nods, wiping her eyes, her voice shaky. “I’m sorry, Archer. I never meant for it to go this far. I didn’t mean for it to go as far as destroying your program,” she offers to Tahani.

“It went too far the moment you chose to betray me,” I say, my tone cold and resolute. “Now, you’ll have to live with that choice.” My anger simmers barely restrained. “And let me get this straight, you did this because you were jealous of Tahani?”

She hesitates, glancing at Mason like she’s searching for some form of reassurance. “And... I... I fell in love with Mason. I wanted to help him, and I thought if I could just—”

Her words falter, and I can barely contain the disgust rising in my chest. “You fell in love with Mason?” I repeat, my voice low and dangerous. “You jeopardized everything—for him? ”

Regina lowers her gaze, shame written all over her face. “I thought if I helped him... if I showed you that you still needed me, you’d see...”

“I’d see what?” I snap, cutting her off. “That you’re willing to destroy everything we’ve built over some misguided loyalty to a man who doesn’t deserve you?”

She doesn’t answer, just stands there, trembling, her silence like an admission of guilt.

I shake my head, the betrayal sinking in deeper. “You didn’t just betray me, Regina. You betrayed this company, Tahani, and yourself. And for what? For someone who would’ve thrown you under the bus the first chance he got?”

She winces, but still says nothing.

From the corner of my eye, I glance at Mason, waiting for him to defend her, to say something, anything, to prove me wrong. But he doesn’t. He just sits there, staring at the floor, his expression blank and cowardly.

“Look at him,” I say coldly, gesturing toward Mason. “He won’t even defend you.”

Regina’s eyes flicker to Mason, searching for some kind of validation or support, but he stays silent, offering no defense. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, Mason mutters, “It wasn’t her fault.”

His weak attempt at defense only fuels my anger.

“That’s it?” I snap. “That’s all you have to say. You dragged her into this mess, ruined her career, and this is your defense?”

Mason shifts uncomfortably in his chair, but he doesn’t meet my gaze. “We were... just trying to make sure Tahani didn’t get too much control. That she didn’t... take over everything.”

I scoff, my patience gone. “Take over everything? You mean outshine both of you with her talent and hard work?”

Regina’s lip trembles, her eyes filling with fresh tears. “I couldn’t come to you, Archer, so I followed my heart,” she whispers, her voice breaking. “I’m sorry, but I thought if I could help Mason, if I could protect what I thought we had...”

I let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “You followed your heart? You sabotaged the most important project this company has ever seen, and you thought that would fix things?”

Her gaze drops to the floor, and for the first time, she looks truly broken.

I turn to Tahani, who’s been quiet through the entire exchange, her expression a storm of barely contained fury. Her eyes are locked on Regina, searing with intensity, and for a brief moment, I catch her gaze. It’s clear. She’s had enough. Whatever restraint she’s shown up to this point is hanging by a thread.

Her gaze burns with the kind of fire that tells me she won’t be silent much longer. And I know that I have to nip all of this in the bud quickly.

“This is over,” I say, my voice hard as stone. “You’re both finished here. Get out of my company. You’ve lost your jobs, your integrity, and your place in this office.”

Regina sobs quietly, her shoulders shaking, while Mason remains stoic, a man too spineless to even fight for the woman he dragged into his mess.

I turn to Tahani, the one person in the room who truly matters. “We rebuild from here. Together. No one else matters.”

Tahani nods, her eyes filled with understanding and determination. Together, we’ll move forward, leaving the wreckage behind.

Without another word, Grace nods and leaves the room. I watch as Regina and Mason shuffle out of the room, their careers and reputations in tatters. It’s done. They’re gone. And now, I can focus on what really matters, which is Tahani, Zeenith, and everything we’ve worked for.

And no one will ever come between us again.