City of Broken Truth

By M.D. Woodson

What do you do when you live in a city filled with lies and untold truths?

Krissy Devoul has to answer that very question. When the life she has worked so hard to escape haunts the life she has built for herself, she is forced to face some new challenges that even she’s not sure she can handle. 

A father she never knew, a new love interest that could be dangerous and a murder could be a little more than Krissy bargained for. She thought she had escaped her troubled past but it could now be jeopardizing her future.

I guess success doesn’t hide all the broken truths.

• Language: English
• Publisher: M.D. Woodson
• Release date: Jan 15, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524233365

M.D. Woodson

M.D.Woodson lives in Utah with her family. She is a stay at home wife and mother to two boys; she is an avid reader of many generes. During the summer she likes to spend her time on the lake with her family and friends, enjoying the lazy days reading and writing while lying in the sun 

Book preview

Chapter 1

Today should have been like any other day, should have but isn’t. What was I thinking, why do I do these things to myself? Knowing that I have a big meeting today, I should have stayed in last night; no, I decided it would be a good idea to get wasted instead. Now I have a massive hangover from the few too many drinks last night. Why I thought that was going to work in my favor, I have no clue. So here I sit in the conference room with the sun blaring in my face and the noise of shuffling papers causing my head to pound. If I had half a mind, I would have just canceled the whole damn meeting.

Sitting across the table is Jeremiah Vadel the CEO of Vadel Cosmetics, currently the number one company in the cosmetic industry in the world. Yet somehow they are almost to a point of bankruptcy due to mismanagement of their funds. I should be excited as this particular merger has had me very curious as of late. I have no doubt that we could turn the profits around and make some extra money in the long run, but the man across the table is the reason I now have the pounding in my head.

Glancing at my assistant, I motion for her to get me some coffee. There is no way I’m going to survive another second of this merger or Jeremiah without some caffeine. As the founder and CEO of Devoul industries I make it a point to sit in on anything involving money and my company, I didn’t get where I am by letting others make the decisions for me. This merger is now even more of a curiosity to me as the cosmetic mogul Jeremiah happens to be my dad, something I found out about only last night.

It’s just not every day you find out something like that.

My Mother worked for Jeremiah and his wife twenty-nine years ago as a housekeeper. She left their employ when she found out she was pregnant with me. At least, that’s what she claims. Sometimes she’s a bit out there; that’s also something she blames on Jeremiah. She claims to have loved him deeply, and he had told her that he loved her too. When she told him she was pregnant, he refused to acknowledge it and told her that in no way was he going to screw with his family because of her. All of this, of course, she decided to tell me the night before what could have been one of the biggest mergers for my company.

Another thing that angers me about it is that if all this is true, he had to have known who I was. Now, because he hasn’t managed his business so brightly, he wants me to save it from going under. I’m not so sure I am willing to do that.

I mean, come on, what kind of person chooses not to acknowledge the fact that they have another kid for twenty-nine years. On top of that, he left my mom high and dry fending for herself while pregnant and while I was growing up.

In the middle of Jeremiah talking up his company, trying to sell me in on the deal. I raised my hand effectively cutting off whatever it is he was going to say next.

Thank you, I've heard all I need to make a decision, I said, plastering on a fake smile.

In reality, I had barely been listening to a word he said.

I beg your pardon Miss Devoul, but we haven’t even discussed the profit potential this merger could provide to your company.

For the first time, this meeting my eyes shift off of Jeremiah to the not so unpleasant looking man who has just spoken. The man whom I believe is the Lawyer representing the Vadels.

He has brown cropped hair and amber eyes, the reds, golds, and browns swirling make it appear as if he is wearing contacts, no way all those beautiful colors are natural.

I’m sorry, Mr. um?

James, Devlin James.

Mr. James, I am in a position that I don’t need whatever profit benefits could come from me putting my companies name with yours, where I sit your client needs me far more than I need or want your client.

I glance back over at Jeremiah whose head is tilted slightly down, shame or disbelief flashes across his face.

Well, Miss Devoul you seem to have us in a corner, however, I would like the opportunity to convince you that a merger could be beneficial to both parties. James smiles; His smile reveals perfectly white teeth and small dimples that add a boyish quality to his strong jaw line.

I find myself wanting to listen to this man speak more, as much as I’m against the merger I want to listen to more. After all, I could be so against it for purely selfish reasons, right? I find that my attention is now off of Jeremiah. I could possibly have a whole new outlook on the situation as well as not being able to shake this weird and odd attraction to Mr. Devlin James. Maybe it’s just curiosity, or maybe it’s just this damned headache causing delusions.

Sipping on the coffee, my assistant Lisa has brought to me, I contemplate what action I should be taking here. I could just blow this whole thing off and go along with my life as it is or I could try and dig deeper into what is going on with Vadel Cosmetics. As well as getting to know Devlin James a little more which sounds like a good idea in my head.

"Okay, Mr. James I will give you an opportunity to discuss this matter further before I make a final decision. But not today, I have had some unfortunate events occur in the past twenty-four hours and I am frankly in no mood to continue this conversation at present.

Thank you, Miss Devoul, Jeremiah says, looking more hopeful.

Yes thank you. I’ll be in touch soon, adds Devlin.

Picking up their papers the two men exit the conference room. Damn that man looks good leaving. Oh god, I clearly need to get out of here and go to bed.

Are you alright? Lisa asks.

Sure fine, just cancel the rest of my schedule today, please. I’m in serious need of a hot bath and some sleep.

Lisa shakes her head smiling in amusement. She’s not just my assistant she’s been my best friend for a long time.

Someone get under your skin?

You could say that.

We exit out of the conference room and head down the hall, I wasn’t going to stop by my office on the way out but as I look toward the exit I can see Jeremiah standing in front of the reception desk with his daughter Stephanie.

Halting in my tracks, I cuss under my breath.

What is he still doing here?

Lisa looks up from her planner. I have no idea; it seems like he’s waiting to talk to you.

Well, I don’t want to talk to him. I grab her arm and pull us into the closest room.

What’s going on Krissy?

That clown Jeremiah is my father.

What! You have got to be kidding me, how could you not tell me something like this before now?

She passes in front of me peeking out around the door. Does he know? Does he know you know? Oh shit, Oh shit.

Shh, they will hear you. I only found out last night.

Geez, you would think that she was the one who just found out who her father is. She does know who her father is though he is in her life and always has been.

I don’t think he knows that I know. And I am pretty sure he has known my whole life but has refused to acknowledge my existence. God Krissy this is all sorts of fucked up.

Tell me about it. I laugh.

Stupid assclown thinks he can come in here and want what you have worked for just because he’s your dad, not like he’s been around or helped you when you were living on the streets.

I don’t know what his angle is yet Lisa, but I plan on finding out. Eventually.

What do you want me to do?

Get rid of them, all I want to do today is go home and sleep.

Okay, okay I can do that. Lisa is wound up tighter than a Jack in the box ready to blow its lid off.  Stupid assclown, She says again before leaving the room to deal with Jeremiah.

I inhale deeply, why can’t my life just be normal like everyone else? Is that too much to ask? I just want a glass of wine and a book.

Peeking my head around the doorway just enough so that I can see Lisa, she’s in a dramatic conversation with Jeremiah and Stephanie. Well more Stephanie, Jeremiah seems to be silent and somber in the background of their exchange. It makes me wonder who’s really pulling the strings over at Vadel Cosmetics and how much she may know about me. After several minutes, Stephanie stomps out the front door with Jeremiah trailing behind like a puppy dog.

I smile at the look of triumph on Lisa’s face as she turns back in my direction.

That sister of yours is a royal ass herself. Lisa says.

She is not my sister. I correct.

Well that’s not what she was saying; she’s all like where is my sister Krissy? I insist you let me speak to her. She says in a fake snob voice. 

No, she didn’t.

Okay so maybe she didn’t add the sister part, but I know that she wanted to.

And how do you know that smart ass?

Hey, no need for name calling. She smiles I just get the feeling she’s going to try to pull that as leverage over you somehow. She just acts like she has something that will hurt you if you don’t help them. Just be careful okay.

I will don’t worry.

As we walk down the hall heading to the parking garage, we laugh some more about the look on Stephanie’s face when Lisa asked them to leave the building and the hot looking lawyer who I was a little excited to be having a meeting with sometime in the not so far away future.

Finally making my way to my car I start to feel a little better about the day and the coffee has helped ease the ache in my head. I am still completely looking forward to a long bath and a nap it has been far too long since I have taken a day for myself and left work alone. I’m glad I have Lisa that I can trust to take care of things, as well as be there when I need her.

Sliding in the driver seat of my car; I start the engine taking a minute to breathe before pulling out of the parking stall and heading home. The drive doesn’t take that long as I live in the city just a few blocks away from the office. I own a couple of apartment and condo buildings around the city of TaygaValley, just part of my many business ventures.

I reside on the top floor of the KD Condominiums. It’s a beautiful old style brick and glass building that used to house a bunch of offices. I had it converted into high-end condos a few years ago and liked how it turned out so much that I had to have one of the lofts for myself. Pulling into the covered parking garage, I park my car in its designated spot near the elevator bank that leads to the side entrance of the building. We have around the clock security at both the street and garage entries. 

Hi, John. I greet the guard currently on duty; I know all of the people in my employment.

Good afternoon Miss Devoul, you’re home early. He greets opening the door for me to enter the smaller room that has the elevator in it.

Decided I needed a day off. I smile.

Entering the elevator, I hit the button to the seventeenth floor; having to insert my key card into a slot before the doors will open. The creak of the solid doors echoes into the open area of my fully remodeled loft. It has an open floor plan the kitchen is just off to the left with a large island that looks over into the large front area; I have an L-shape couch that gives the area just enough feel for its own space. My favorite thing about this loft is the wall of windows that you can see from the moment you walk in; the cities light at night is one of the things I love the most when I come home. But as I am home way before normal there are no lights to be seen right now just other buildings and the bright blue of the sky, from this high up you can also see a small piece of the beach located a few miles away if you look out to the right.

Dropping my bag onto the kitchen countertop, I open the fridge for some wine, pouring myself a healthy glass of Moscato I take my drink and head to my room. Located in the back of the loft across the