Vengeful in Love

“Simply stating a fact, my dear. I know enough about what your father’s done to ruin him, socially and otherwise. He’ll never be able to hold public office again.”

Natalie clenched her hands. “How can you even think about something like this? Brian’s always been fair to you. Louise is your best friend.”

Emily leaned forward, her face radiating intensity. “Which is precisely why I’m giving you a chance to stop this. Louise and Belle treat you rottenly, but Brian’s been good to you. As much as he could be. Think about it. You get to protect him, I get to protect Charlie’s inheritance, and we’ll all gain from it.”

This was surreal. But of all the emotions churning in Natalie’s mind, outrage was the strongest. “Really? Tell me something: how is losing the job I love a gain?” How is betraying Alex and throwing away my self-respect a gain?

“Oh, don’t you worry. I’ll make it worth your while.”

Emily pushed a slim white envelope across the table. Natalie stared at it as if it were a scorpion.

“Open it,” Emily said.

Natalie picked it up. It was light. Most likely it didn’t contain any damning pictures. She looked inside.

“Do you see the cashier’s check?”

Without taking it out of the envelope, Natalie used a finger to bend the check back so she could read the numbers printed on it. My God, she thought. It was a million dollars, payable to her.

“Keep it. It’s yours. It should be more than enough to pay off your mortgage. Or go on a shopping spree. You can do whatever you want with it.”

Natalie withdrew her fingers, folded the flap back down, and carefully placed the envelope on the table. “I’m surprised you think you can buy me.”

“Buy you?” Emily laughed. “I’m ensuring that you benefit from helping me and Charlie.” She pursed her lips. “If you’re thinking that you can get a better deal from Alex, like marriage, forget it. He’s what you young people call a user, just like his father was.”

“It doesn’t matter what Alex is. The answer is no.”

Emily smiled. “You always were a good girl. I rather thought that you’d turn the money down. But there’s something else.” She leaned forward. “I can help you find the truth behind your adoption and who your real parents were.”

Natalie’s heart began pounding so hard sh

e was sure the couple at the next table could hear it. “You know? You know about my biological parents?”

“You help me, Natalie, and I will help you. Think about it and call me.”

* * *

Although it was Saturday, Alex strode down the hall at DDE, on his way home after reviewing some confidential documents that couldn’t be taken out of the building. Sometimes company policies were annoying, he thought, but rules were rules. He should know—he’d set them.

All the cubicles were deserted, as were most of the corner offices. But Ethan was in. Alex shook his head. The guy never seemed to rest.

“Hey.”

“Hey, I was hoping to see you here,” Ethan said. “You never answered your cell phone.”

“The battery died.” A lie, but what he’d done last night was none of Ethan’s business.

“Got a couple minutes?”

Alex entered his best friend’s office, shut the door, and sat down. “What’s up?”

“It’s about the Rodales and Natalie.”

“What about them?”

“Emily and Natalie were together in Tysons today. They were having an early lunch.”

That had to have been only hours, if that, after he’d made love to her and come to the office. “So?” he said, keeping his voice deliberately casual.