HIDDEN VOWS

Chapter 07

Miles had plans for the day. But after another aggravating meeting with the board, his plans were flushed away and since morning, his mood hadn't been any better. 

As Miles maneuvered his way through the rush hour in downtown Manhattan, the words of his grandfather's comrade and his only advocate among the board members, came to mind.

Your grandfather worked hard to bring the foundation where it is today, Miles. Don't let his efforts be in vain.

HOPE was his home. The only place he would ever truly belong. 

But even though the foundation was partly his inheritance, Miles did not want the managerial position. His hands were full as it was from managing his own business. However, he would have to take up the position of general manager if he wanted to stop Dean Clifford, his childhood friend turned nemesis, from claiming the title. 

Damn the board and Dean fucking Clifford for putting him in this position.

Initially, it was the fear of losing HOPE that made him cling onto his lawyer's idea without much fuss. But right now, he knew he had gone about the whole situation the wrong way. 

Worst of all, he had dragged an innocent girl into his mess. 

If it was up to Miles, he would have asked one of his lady friends to take up the role, but unfortunately for him, none of them were into charity work. One that didn't involve social media likes and celebrity networking that is. 

Be that as it may, Emery Delado walked into his life. It had to be divine intervention. It just had to be because from Miles' private investigation, he came to know that not only was the girl into charity work but volunteering was practically their family tradition. She even had a freaking award for best volunteer from Anchorage, one of the known shelters in Manhattan. 

From her social media pages, it was obvious she loved what she does and that was part of the reasons why Miles wanted her on board. 

More importantly, Emery Delado had no social media scandals or no criminal records. The girl basically had a clean slate. 

This made the fabricated love story he had told his hired publicist work perfectly and Miles could already see the wheels of doubt among the public spinning as they ate up the tale that was about to hit the media. 

Pulling into his grandparents' driveway, Miles killed the engine and leaned in his seat for a few moments to compose his thoughts. This was not how the evening was supposed to go. He had wanted to ask Emery to dinner. 

But he got to her house only to find out she wasn't home after telling him she was. Though her friend would not tell him where exactly she had gone, it wasn't hard to put two and two together. 

She was with the college boy. 

In truth, Miles had felt an unexplainable unease but even he knew that she would need time to end things with her lover. 

But then she lied about it and that didn't sit well with him. To make matters worse, she had brought up the pregnancy idea. The turn of conversation did bring back some memories Miles did not wish to visit but still, he knew he could have handled things differently. 

Conflicting as his feelings towards the girl were, he would have to make things work between them because she was his one ticket out of this mess. 

And surprisingly, the only girl he could trust to help him right now.

Unbuckling his seatbelt, Miles hurled himself out of the car and strode over to the double ornate door. He knocked and waited, clearly out of impatience as he drummed his oxfords against the waxed floorboards.