A New Resolution Read Online Free PDF Page A

liked to win. She liked being calm, liked being in control, and liked having peace of mind, knowing that she was the cat chasing the mouse. And that control had come easy to her in the past five years. But at that moment, staring into the face of a wretched man who was apparently blackmailing her to have sex with him or he would destroy her life’s work, even possibly have a lawsuit filed against her by the board members for mishandling confidential information, she was close to losing her control.
    The asshat didn’t know who he was dealing with. She was Lore Beyer, her father’s daughter. In no universe, alternate or otherwise, would she allow some petty, pathetic lard of a man to back her into a corner. She felt the fury of her all too human emotions roiling within her body like a storm-plagued sea, but she kept it all to herself, kept it on the inside. Her face expressed nothing as she stood before walking toward the door in a show of trying to escape. She knew what he would do.
    “Where you going, Balmer?” He pushed the guest chair back with a shove, slapping his large hand in front of her along the wall, preventing her from grabbing the doorknob. His next move was so gut churning she almost had trouble keeping the vomit at bay.
    His bearlike body pressed against hers, literally backing her into the corner. Hot, whiskey-laced breath skimmed her throat, and she could feel the disgusting, pencil-sized erection pressing into her abdomen. The entire experience was revolting, but she held on for a little longer, playing her part.
    She attempted to push him away, make a physical show that she most definitely didn’t want him touching her. He grabbed her wrists, slamming them above her head. She’d have bruises on her skin after this. How many bruises did Kathy have? The thought fortified her.
    Lore scrunched her face as she whimpered and told him to get off her, that she didn’t want it. He laughed, made some other chauvinistic threats and comments while grinding himself on her. His hand found its way to her breast, and he squeezed to the point of pain. She projected terror and helplessness on the outside, all the while feeling nothing but a cool and calm rage on the inside, giving her strength to endure and bide her time.
    Eventually he desisted, stepping away from her body with a lascivious glare. She crumpled to the floor, staring up at him in wide-eyed horror. It was only a little thing she suffered to make sure it never happened in this office again. She was strong enough.
    “I’ll pick you up at nine on Saturday, Balmer.”
    With that parting command, he left the room, closing the door behind him. She waited a moment, keeping quiet in her rigid position on the floor. Eventually she pushed aside some more dignity as she crawled toward her desk, out of sight of the camera she had placed in her office two years ago when she’d been concerned with break-ins. The CEO of the company had approved the placement of the cameras without her boss’s or any other colleague’s knowledge. The information she handled was highly sensitive, after all, and needed to be protected against out- and in-office threats. It was her ace in the hole, and she was only upset she hadn’t thought of using it sooner.
    Once behind her desk, she instantly stood and dusted herself off, cleansing her mind of the mortifying experience with a simple shake of her head. This was something she must have inherited from her father—the ability to ignore the moral or disturbing aspects of a situation to focus on the end goal.
    Sitting back at her desk, she then accessed the secure video files and copied the degrading ten minutes onto an external hard drive, wiping the computer’s files clean with a few simple clicks. It was as if the files never existed. She loved modern technology.
    Lore then waited with practiced patience until the office cleared out for the evening, including her wretched excuse for a boss. Not wanting to lose sight of it for one