He was actually grateful for a little time alone. It would give him a chance to shove all those unwanted memories to the back of his mind.
He had no idea why his father had all those photos, but it wasn’t because he loved his family. No one that loved their wife and child walked away.
That’s why Trey had avoided any sort of committed relationship. He didn’t want to be like his father and realize too late that he wasn’t cut out to be a family man. No child deserved to be discarded like he’d been.
CHAPTER SIX
ELSA STOOD IN front of her gold-leaf-trimmed mirror. With a finger, she lifted one brow and then she did the same on the other side. Then she drew back her cheeks. It was time for some Botox. She would schedule an appointment for this afternoon.
She picked up her compact and powdered her pointed nose. Perhaps she should do something different with her hair. But then again, why? Could it look any better? It was hard to improve on perfection.
Knock. Knock.
“Come in.” It was about time Mr. Hunter arrived for their meeting. He was already ten minutes late. She did not have room in her life for tardiness. Time was money.
The door opened and the hulk of a man stepped inside. “Sorry I’m late. Traffic was snarled.”
“I don’t care about the traffic. What have you learned about my stepdaughter?”
The man was younger than her. He was tall, dark and in her opinion modestly handsome. Perhaps if she wasn’t in such a rush for information, she might enjoy a little alone time with him. But right now she had to deal with her stepdaughter—the girl gave her nothing but a headache.
“Hurry up,” Elsa said, anxious to know what Sage had been up to now.
He lifted his digital tablet and consulted his notes. “She’s still with QTR, but she’s on probation. She has to show the board a marked improvement and a solid strategy for the future by the end of the month. And it appears Rousseau’s son is taking over the business as CEO.”
“A son? I didn’t know he had a son. Get me as much information as you can on him.” She couldn’t have Sage being successful. That wouldn’t do. But first she had to gain information and then she’d formulate a plan. “And how did my stepdaughter look?”
“Beautiful.” The man’s eyes lit up and he smiled as he recalled Sage’s image.
Elsa’s back teeth ground together. Her gaze narrowed in on the man. “How beautiful?”
“She has grown into the most stunning woman.” His voice had a sense of awe in it, which only compounded Elsa’s frustration. He rubbed his squared jaw. “She turned heads wherever she went. People seem to fall under her spell whenever she smiles at them.”
“She used to do the same thing to her father. She’d smile and he’d do whatever she wanted. He didn’t care that as his wife my needs should have come first. It was always all about that brat kid.”
“There’s something else you should know. Sage is asking questions about you and this company.”
The breath caught in Elsa’s throat. She knew this day was coming. Once Sage had the means, she would come after Elsa. The girl had to be stopped once and for all.
Elsa turned to the mirror and stared into it. That girl was always trying to ruin everything for her. With an angry groan, Elsa lifted her arm and sent her metal compact crashing into the mirror. Glass shards fell to the floor. If she didn’t stop her stepdaughter soon, Sage would have enough clout and money to reveal the truth about how Elsa ascended to CEO of White Publishing. And that could not happen.
Heedless of the mess, Elsa turned to Hunter. Perhaps she should have been paying closer attention to her stepdaughter. She wouldn’t make that mistake again. “Do you have someone watching her now?”
“No. You didn’t say you wanted twenty-four-hour surveillance—”
“Do I have to spell out everything
for you?” she shouted. Her anger and fear bubbled to the surface.
The man’s face masked his emotions. “She’s leaving for the French Riviera in the morning. Would you like me to follow her?”
Elsa arched a dark brow. “For the Cannes Film Festival?”
Hunter nodded. “From what I gather, she’s shorthanded and handling the event herself. Well, herself and her male assistant.”
Elsa turned her back to the man. Perhaps it was time she had a face-to-face meeting with her stepdaughter. It was time to remind Sage of her proper place in this world—cleaning floors and washing dishes.
“We’re both going.”