Authors: Nadia Lee
“Thank you. I was just telling Ethan here how busy I am today.”
“Fine, I know when I’m not wanted.” Ethan heaved himself up and started out, giving Eleanor a smile as he did so. “It’s like this sixth sense I’ve got.”
“He didn’t have to go,” Eleanor said when the door was closed.
“Yes, he did.” Alex rooted around until he came up with the documents. “Here they are. Is there anything else?”
“Jennifer Beringer called about the new project figures for London. The last one I remember is five million USD. Is that still the case?”
“It is, but the scope has changed. I’ll need to brief them on that as soon as possible, so set up a conference call. And I’m probably going to have to go out there myself next month. See what everyone’s availability is.”
Eleanor nodded. One of her best qualities as a secretary was that she had a superb memory. Alex had never seen her take notes, other than occasionally in meetings, and she never forgot anything.
He gave her instructions on other business, and she reminded him of an upcoming appointment. Then she left, and he concentrated on reducing the pile of paperwork in front of him.
Half an hour later, he suddenly raised his head. He sat frowning at the wall for a few moments, then got up and opened the door.
“Eleanor, how did you know what the figure was for London? Did Ethan tell you?”
She turned on her chair and gave him a puzzled look. “No, I saw it on your computer. When I was in last week. Remember, you asked me to make sure—”
He nodded, but he wasn’t listening anymore. “Thanks.” He started to go back into his office, then stuck his head out again. “Have I mentioned what a wonderful admin you are lately? Tell HR that I approved a pay raise for you. Ten percent, starting next month.”
Eleanor’s eyebrows climbed out from behind the round glasses she wore.
“And get Murchison on the line. He’s in Security.” He pointed at the phone. “
Now.
Please.”
Alex shut the door while Eleanor was just starting to move. Back in his office, he paced, index and middle fingers on his temples. Up until today, he had felt like he’d been playing with half the board hidden from his sight. But now things were beginning to fit. Still, it was a bit too soon to do anything. He needed to have everything lined up before he moved. And Murchison could help him do that.
* * *
When Ethan entered his office exactly one week later, Alex smiled and stood. “Thanks for coming.”
“No problem.” Ethan frowned. “You look…happy.”
“I am.” When Ethan made a move to sit, Alex waved his hand. “No, no, stop. You’re going to stand right there by the wall. If you want, you can lean against it. Cross your arms. Right, just like that.”
The frown deepened, but Ethan did as he was told.
“Perfect.” Alex turned to the intercom. “Eleanor, could you get Danielle to come in?”
A few minutes later, the door opened and Danielle entered the office. “Um…I heard from your assistant… I mean, Eleanor said you wanted to see me?”
“Please come in,” Alex said with a smile. “Have a seat.” He offered her the chair Ethan had wanted.
“Thank you.” She practically tiptoed inside and seated herself as though there were paper on the chair and she was trying not to wrinkle it. But then, she seemed timid all the time. Her eyes darted between Alex and Ethan. Both men were standing, wearing black suits. Alex thought maybe it was too theatrical, but the effect on her would be worth it. “So…what can I do for you?” she said, her fingertips on her knees.
Alex rested a hip on the edge of his desk. He wanted to be close to her as he talked, without the bulk of the desk between them. “I’m thinking about taking Ethan out to a nice steak house for a special project well done. Do you know any decent restaurants in this area? Normally, I would ask Eleanor, but she’s not from around here.”
She looked perplexed. “Oh. Well, uh…The Palm’s nice. You know, the one by the Ritz? Or, um…Morton’s is also close by…near Tysons, and they always have wonderful steaks.”
Alex nodded. “Morton’s, huh? What do you think about the one in Reston?”
“Uh…it’s very good. You’ll never be disappointed at Morton’s. There’s one in Arlington too, if that’s, you know, more convenient.”
“But Reston is the one you know best, isn’t it?”
Danielle looked between the two men. “I’m not… Why would you say that?”
“I hope Rodale paid for the meal. That Cheval Blanc alone—1998 vintage, wasn’t it?—was close to three hundred bucks. Unless, of course, you treated him out of the money the Rodales have given you.”
She licked her lower lip. Alex made sure his face betrayed nothing.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said. “I don’t… I haven’t been to Reston since last Christmas.”
Alex shook his head. “Your best bet at this point is to cooperate fully with us.” He picked up a few photos from his desk and handed them to her. “Looks remarkably like you, don’t you agree? They were taken this Thursday.”
Her fingers began shaking as she looked at the pictures. “I don’t…I don’t…. He said you wouldn’t find out.”
“Uh-huh. Because Natalie would take the fall.”
“How could you?” Ethan’s sudden question surprised Alex. “She’s been a fair boss to you, trying to bring you up as she moved up the chain of command.” Ethan hadn’t moved from where he was, and he hadn’t raised his voice, but Danielle flinched when she saw the expression on his face.
“It’s not like that. I didn’t want to do it, not the NSA job.” Her gaze dropped. One fat tear started rolling down the curve of her cheek. “But he said she would be okay. Her father’s a U.S. senator. I mean, her whole family’s ambassadors, senators, governors… She’d land on her feet.”
“So you framed her,” Alex said.
Danielle’s head snapped up. “No!”
“You let her take the fall.”
“Nobody was supposed to be hurt! But if it had to be someone, Natalie’s the one who can afford it.” She wrung her hands. “I don’t… I’m in love with Charlie.”
Alex looked at the homely girl, only now realizing that she had been taking more care with her appearance recently. Her nails were done, and she was actually wearing earrings. Still, she was never going to be a beauty. Rodale must have seemed like a dream come true when he expressed interest in her. Alex felt a stab of pity, but one thought of Natalie made it vanish.
“How did you get the data?” Ethan said. “Only Natalie and I had access to it.”
“She saw it on Natalie’s computer,” Alex said. “Didn’t you? You’re always in and out of her office, and she trusts you. It wasn’t that difficult, was it?”
“I think I want a lawyer,” Danielle said slowly.
“You can call one if you like,” Alex said. “But here’s what’s going to happen if you do. I will use every resource at my disposal—
every
resource—to make your life miserable. I’ll tie you up in court until you’re ready for a retirement home. Every cent of the money Rodale is paying you will be spent on legal fees. You will have to sell your clothes, your jewelry, your car, and your house simply to stay afloat, and still it won’t be enough. There is no place on this planet you can go to where I will not be able to find you.” He gave it a moment to sink in. “Or, you can come clean with me right here, right now. Tell us what happened, and why, and I won’t press charges. You’ll have to leave DDE, of course, but I won’t hinder you in a search for a new job. It will be over.” He leaned toward her, bringing all the force of his personality to bear. “This is a one-time offer, and it’s good for the next sixty seconds.
Decide
.”
Danielle looked from one man to the other, her eyes wide. Alex looked back at her steadily. Ethan’s face seemed carved from stone. Finally she sagged. “It was like you said,” she said in a small voice. “I knew when she was going to be working on the NSA bid, and I just created excuses to be in her office. Once or twice she would put something else up on the screen, but usually she just left whatever was on there to begin with. I’d get her to sign something, or ask her to help me with something.” She shrugged. “It wasn’t that hard.”
Ethan swore. Alex experienced a brief soaring elation. Vindicated!
“You are hereby terminated, effective immediately,” he began. “Empty your desk within the next fifteen minutes, and security will escort you out. If I see you anywhere near DDE again, I’ll have you up on charges for corporate espionage. There is an eyewitness here and the intercom has been on this whole time, so my secretary also heard what you’ve said. Stay away, and we’re done. Come back, and I’ll make sure you’ll never get a job higher than assistant burger flipper again. Am I making myself clear?”
She swallowed and nodded, her lower lip trembling slightly.
Alex stared at her. “You now have fourteen minutes.”
“Damn, I screwed up,” Ethan said when Danielle was gone. He stood up a little straighter. “About my resignation. I’ll—”
“Forget it.
I’m
the one who screwed up. I’ve been unbelievably faithless.” He recalled Natalie’s stricken expression—the way he’d tossed out the truth about her adoption—and closed his eyes briefly. God, he’d been a bastard. Was it too late?
“Eleanor,” he said to the air, “I’m canceling all my appointments for the day. I don’t care who calls, I’m not available.”
He needed to see Natalie. Now.
* * *
The convertible gleamed under the sun as it flew over the country roads. The wind tousled her newly cut hair and dragged at her silk top. Natalie felt chilled and exhilarated at the same time. And she was loving every second of the crazy fast drive.
She’d taken extra care to look her best this morning. Moping time was over—she was starting fresh. Away from the Halls, the Rodales, Alex, and everything else. She’d seen her lawyer earlier in the week to change her last name to Chang, thinking it was sufficiently Chinese-sounding and might suit her better. Besides, it was all she had of her real ancestry. She didn’t want to be called Hall anymore. And two days ago, she’d contacted a real estate agent to put her condo up for sale. She didn’t know where she wanted to go yet. Maybe back to Goldreich in Hong Kong, just like Kerri begged her to every time they talked. Maybe somewhere completely new.
When something wet trailed down her cheek, she brushed it away impatiently. This was her way of purging it all, reminding herself that she was strong enough to overcome her current difficulties and continue on her own.
A new life, like the open road in front of her, with the past forever left behind.
* * *
Alex checked the parking lot again. Natalie’s car was missing, and her condo was dark and empty. Nobody from her family knew where she was. To make matters worse, her cell phone had been disconnected, and there didn’t seem to be a new number. Alex resisted the urge to kick something as the sun began to set. It would’ve been satisfying but definitely not helpful.
Still, he kept the option in the back of his mind as he started to pace. It was difficult trying to predict her moves. There was a For Sale sign on her unit, which obviously meant that she was planning to relocate, but also meant that she hadn’t gotten rid of the place yet.
So she had to come back eventually, didn’t she? Maybe
he
should buy it, force her to meet him that way.
He rehearsed the speech he would make when she showed up. It needed to be sufficiently groveling, given what he’d done to her. Hopefully, she would forgive him. No, no. She had to. He was crazy about her, and he knew the feeling would never go away.
He paused as a sudden thought struck him. Had she gone to China to find her biological parents? That would be insane. He hadn’t been able to discover their identity despite all the money he’d spent.
A familiar convertible lurched to a stop in one of the parking spaces, and something inside him loosened when he saw Natalie in the driver’s seat.
* * *
Sitting in the parking spot, Natalie gripped the steering wheel so tightly it started to shake. Was it really Alex? God, how could he show up here again? What did he want? Hadn’t they said everything that needed to be said last time?
She considered driving away. It was extremely tempting.
Don’t be ridiculous. This is still your home.
Maybe he would ignore her. He’d made his contempt for her clear.
When he trotted toward her, her stomach knotted. So much for wishful thinking. She braced herself and looked straight ahead, her thoughts racing.
“Natalie.”
One heartbeat. Two. Finally, she glanced at him. She was thankful for the jet-black sunglasses she had on.
“You cut your hair.”
She almost raised her hand to touch the short tips that brushed her neck. But there was no reason for her to finger-comb it. She no longer had to play the proper daughter of a powerful U.S. senator—and she had no reason to try to impress Alex.
“Can we talk?”
Alex’s voice was gentle, and absurdly, it made her want to cry. It held the warmth that had never failed to make her insides melt. But that warmth had been a lie, hadn’t it? To keep her in the dark while he was plotting behind her back…to set her up for something she hadn’t done. Something she’d never even considered doing.
She took a deep breath and got out of the car. The four-inch dress sandals she wore added to her height, and she was thankful she had taken so much care with her appearance that morning. She knew she looked good. Eat your heart out, she thought. Now all she had to do was keep it together in front of him.
“I thought we were done.” Her voice was steady. Her gaze was steady.
Steady.
Alex reached out and gently took her wrist. “No.”
The contact seemed to burn her skin, and she almost cried out. What was he up to now? Hadn’t he done enough?
“Let go.”
He kept his hand where it was. She could feel the heat and intensity of his gaze even through the sunglasses.
“Ethan turned in his resignation.”
She laughed. “And…what? You want me to fill his position?” God, she had to get away. A moment longer and she would crack, cry like some pathetic loser. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction, even if it killed her to hold everything inside.