“Uh, mostly neutral. Just that he had a half-brother,” I said.
“Yes, that's me alright,” Adam said. “So how well do you know my brother?”
I looked back at Malcolm's office. His door was closed. Mr. Brownstein had already been escorted inside by Alyssa.
“We're friends,” I said.
“Only friends?” he asked, a slick, greasy smile curling his lips. “Because I sense there's something more going on than that. And I usually have a pretty good nose for these things.”
“Nope. Just friends,” I lied. “It was nice meeting you, Adam, but I need to get going.”
I headed toward the elevator again, but Adam stepped in front of me, blocking my path.
“Has he introduced you to the family yet?”
“No,” I said. “Why should he?”
Adam shrugged. “Just curious,” he said. “Thought you might like to see the real Malcolm, on his home turf. Maybe even meet his parents.”
“I'm not sure we're that close, Adam,” I said, my throat tightening. “Now, if you'll excuse.”
“Would you like to come over and meet everyone?” he asked. “We're having a dinner party tomorrow night, and you're more than welcome to join us.”
“I don't think that's a good idea,” I said.
“Ah well, if you change your mind and are curious, here's my card,” he said. “You never know. It might be a good idea to check out his home environment. See what kind of family he has.”
I took his card, mainly to be polite, and pushed my way past him. “Thanks, Adam, but I don't believe that'll be necessary.”
“Very well,” he said. “If you change your mind, you know how to reach me.”
“I do,” I said, tucking his card away in my purse.
When I got to the elevator, I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. Thank God, I got rid of him, I thought.
I couldn't let his family suspect anything was going on. Especially, not his brother. Not that I knew the first thing about Adam, but I could tell he was up to something. I could smell people like that a mile away.
And considering what was going on, whatever angle he was playing couldn't be good. Not for Malcolm and not for me.
Not to mention the fact that he'd just given me the willies. He was a good-looking guy, sure, but something wasn't right with him. It left me feeling very unsettled as I stepped into the elevator.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
MALCOLM
“What's she doing here?” I muttered to my mother as we walked into the dining room.
“She's carrying your child, Malcolm,” Mom said. “Think about what this means for you. Whether you want to continue your relationship with Danielle or not, she's still the key to you earning your inheritance.”
“Dad invited her, didn't he?”
“Yes, he did,” she said. “But I don't necessarily disagree with the decision.”
My mom stood tall and stiff, her arms crossed in front of her. She gave me the typical “Mom Stare of Doom,” and while I might be too old for her to boss around, I respected her enough to be on my best behavior.
Danielle was seated at the table when we walked in, and she smiled at me, patting the chair beside her. Normally, I would have sat in that chair, but seeing her sitting there, looking at me expectantly, I eyed the one across from her instead.
I'd just turned and started to head for the seat when Adam swooped in and claimed it for himself, sitting next to our father. My mother was on the other side of him, Danielle next to her.