“Don’t forget that you’re not alone.” Emily reached out, but Natalie shrank away. Emily’s eyes turned angry, then quickly cooled. “I know what it’s like to be cast aside by the person you’ve given your heart to.” Emily opened the car door and got out. “You know how to reach me.”
* * *
Natalie collapsed on her couch. She didn’t remember the drive home. Everything had been a blur until she found herself in her condo. One thing kept going through her mind: How could Emily have been so cruel?
She dug into her purse and searched until she pulled out the home pregnancy test, then went into the bathroom and used it. She had to blink several times before she could focus on the rectangular section where lines were supposed to appear.
Negative.
She stood, one hand on her forehead. Was she relieved? Disappointed? Her thoughts were jumbled like a jigsaw puzzle.
Matto meowed, and Natalie picked him up, absently scratching behind his ears. She thought about telling Alex about Charlie. Or should she tell Charlie first?
But would Charlie believe her if Emily denied everything? For that matter, would Alex? There wasn’t much physical resemblance between the two men.
There was another possibility as well. Emily could have made the story up to compel Natalie to help the Rodales. The older woman truly believed that Rodale International belonged to her family. And Natalie was starting to wonder how far Emily would go to protect what was hers.
* * *
“This confirms it all,” Ethan said, entering Alex’s office.
It was late in the evening. The entire floor was empty except for the two of them and an old janitor puttering around the cubicles. The rush-hour traffic was waning outside the windows.
Alex looked up from the email he’d been reading. His stomach knotted. Did Ethan actually have something concrete?
“Natalie left work earlier than usual. She met Emily Rodale and talked to her for about fifteen minutes.”
Alex waved his hand dismissively. “That could’ve been anything. Did your PI get anything specific?”
“That’s the thing. They met at a mall but went to Natalie’s car to talk. It’s like they didn’t want anyone to hear their conversation.”
“That still doesn’t prove anything. Natalie’s known Emily forever.”
“There’s more.” Ethan took a deep breath, his eyes full of sympathy. “I have a contact in the NSA. The Rodale bid… They undercut the number I gave Natalie by just enough to win the project.”
“It still—”
“And the scope of the work is exactly the same as the specs I gave her.”
Alex’s hands tightened into fists. “Are you sure? Can you trust this NSA person?” He shook his head. “It could’ve been a coincidence.”
“Alex, come on! This is the third time Rodale’s been able to send in bids like thi—”
“Shut up,” Alex said softly.
“I’m sorry.”
“Shut up!”
Ethan nodded and left.
Alex felt sick. He couldn’t believe Natalie was the mole. Even though Ethan had warned him, he’d rejected the idea.
The weather outside the window was overcast, the city lights reflecting off low, pewter clouds. Alex watched them as they slid slowly to the west. He wished Ethan weren’t so good at his job.
Now Alex had no choice. He had to deal with the situation, and no matter what move he played, he was going to lose.
Chapter Seventeen