She pointed at the door with a shaking finger. “Get out!”
“Oh, I’ll go. But before I leave,” he said, his face contorted with rage. “There’s something you should know. You weren’t a foundling. Your lofty father won you. On a bet. In China.”
Blood roared in her ears, and she could barely hear anything over the pounding of her heart. “Wha—what? How…how do you know?”
“Brian’s been in my way one too many times, protecting the Rodales. Nothing would make him back off. So I had to find something bad enough that he’d have to abandon them.”
Stop siccing your nasty boyfriend…
“I had several investigators dig into his past,” Alex continued. “They finally found something I could use against him—winning you on a bet. Imagine the scandal it would cause—‘Senator Wins Daughter in Game of Chance’. He’s been blustering, but I know he’ll stop protecting the Rodales. He’ll be lucky to avoid jail. Is there a statute of limitations on human trafficking?
“Still, raised by a man like that…” Alex shook his head. “I should’ve known you’d think nothing of sneaking around, spying for money. I want your resignation first thing tomorrow morning.”
His eyes raked her, left her raw and bleeding. Then he left, slamming the door shut behind him.
* * *
Stumbling along the sidewalks, Alex let out a few choice words. He needed to call a cab. Even if he hadn’t been drinking, he was in no condition to drive. He was too angry…too emotional. His whole body was shaking uncontrollably.
God. He hated her and the way her chocolate eyes seem to draw him in, even when he knew her for what she really was. He hated himself for wanting her despite all she’d done to him. He’d wanted her to tell him the truth. Everything. He would’ve covered it up. Pretended nothing had ever happened, no harm done. She would have had to resign, of course, but he could’ve still been with her, found it in his heart to forgive her.
He hadn’t intended to tell her about the adoption, but when she’d ordered him to get out, acting like some kind of queen, something had snapped inside his heart. His face twisted into a snarl. Where were the damned cabs?
He would ruin the Rodales and take the Halls down too, for good measure. He wanted them all to burn in hell, especially Natalie. That way, he’d have some company.
* * *
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Natalie put a hand on her churning stomach and then, covering her mouth with the other, ran to the bathroom and threw up until there was nothing left. When she was finished, she half-knelt, half-sat on the floor next to the toilet, the cool porcelain under one elbow, her head in her hand. Finally she stood and stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her face blotchy. She began cleaning herself up.
Your lofty father won you. On a bet. In China.
Tears of frustration and anger welled in her eyes. All it had taken was an instant for her life to be completely destroyed. Her lover, her career, even her identity—nothing was ever going to be the same. For a time, despair threatened to overwhelm her. But then another emotion began to well up from deep inside, from the strongest and most resilient part of her. Slowly, then more quickly, anger took her over, pushing the despair aside.
She wanted answers.
She threw on some clothes and rushed out, her feet so quick that she almost tripped. Her car beeped as she disabled the alarm and climbed inside. The Halls’ house wasn’t that far, and traffic would be light this time of night.
The halogen lamps over the highway blurred into bright orange streaks as she sped onto I-66, then the Beltway. The speedometer was close to triple digits, but she didn’t care. She needed to see Brian.
Now.
And then what? Could she accuse him of winning her like she were a…a thing?
Her car lurched to a stop in front of the opulent mansion. A few windows were lit, including Brian’s study. Louise’s Mercedes wasn’t in the driveway. Good. Natalie didn’t want to deal with her right now.
Natalie rushed to the house, still holding her car keys. She pounded on the door until it opened.
“What are you doing here at this hour?” Belle’s eyes flashed. “Are you out of your mind?”
“I just might be.”
Natalie pushed past her and moved to climb the staircase to the second floor, where Brian’s study was, but Belle ran and got in front of her.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“None of your business,” Natalie said. “Get out of my way.”