Alex looked at the homely girl, only now realizing that she had been taking more care with her appearance recently. Her nails were done, and she was actually wearing earrings. Still, she was never going to be a beauty. Rodale must have seemed like a dream come true when he expressed interest in her. Alex felt a stab of pity, but one thought of Natalie made it vanish.
“How did you get the data?” Ethan said. “Only Natalie and I had access to it.”
“She saw it on Natalie’s computer,” Alex said. “Didn’t you? You’re always in and out of her office, and she trusts you. It wasn’t that difficult, was it?”
“I think I want a lawyer,” Danielle said slowly.
“You can call one if you like,” Alex said. “But here’s what’s going to happen if you do. I will use every resource at my disposal—every resource—to make your life miserable. I’ll tie you up in court until you’re ready for a retirement home. Every cent of the money Rodale is paying you will be spent on legal fees. You will have to sell your clothes, your jewelry, your car, and your house simply to stay afloat, and still it won’t be enough. There is no place on this planet you can go to where I will not be able to find you.” He gave it a moment to sink in. “Or, you can come clean with me right here, right now. Tell us what happened, and why, and I won’t press charges. You’ll have to leave DDE, of course, but I won’t hinder you in a search for a new job. It will be over.” He leaned toward her, bringing all the force of his personality to bear. “This is a one-time offer, and it’s good for the next sixty seconds. Decide.”
Danielle looked from one man to the other, her eyes wide. Alex looked back at her steadily. Ethan’s face seemed carved from stone. Finally she sagged. “It was like you said,” she said in a small voice. “I knew when she was going to be working on the NSA bid, and I just created excuses to be in her office. Once or twice she would put something else up on the screen, but usually she just left whatever was on there to begin with. I’d get her to sign something, or ask her to help me with something.” She shrugged. “It wasn’t that hard.”
Ethan swore. Alex experienced a brief soaring elation. Vindicated!
“You are hereby terminated, effective immediately,” he began. “Empty your desk within the next fifteen minutes, and security will escort you out. If I see you anywhere near DDE again, I’ll have you up on charges for corporate espionage. There is an eyewitness here and the intercom has been on this whole time, so my secretary also heard what you’ve said. Stay away, and we’re done. Come back, and I’ll make sure you’ll never get a job higher than assistant burger flipper again. Am I making myself clear?”
She swallowed and nodded, her lower lip trembling slightly.
Alex stared at her. “You now have fourteen minutes.”
“Damn, I screwed up,” Ethan said when Danielle was gone. He stood up a little straighter. “About my resignation. I’ll—”
“Forget it. I’m the one who screwed up. I’ve been unbelievably faithless.” He recalled Natalie’s stricken expression—the way he’d tossed out the truth about her adoption—and closed his eyes briefly. God, he’d been a bastard. Was it too late?
“Eleanor,” he said to the air, “I’m canceling all my appointments for the day. I don’t care who calls, I’m not available.”
He needed to see Natalie. Now.
* * *
The convertible gleamed under the sun as it flew over the country roads. The wind tousled her newly cut hair and dragged at her silk top. Natalie felt chilled and exhilarated at the same time. And she was loving every second of the crazy fast drive.
She’d taken extra care to look her best this morning. Moping time was over—she was starting fresh. Away from the Halls, the Rodales, Alex, and everything else. She’d seen her lawyer earlier in the week to change her last name to Chang, thinking it was sufficiently Chinese-sounding and might suit her better. Besides, it was all she had of her real ancestry. She didn’t want to be called Hall anymore. And two days ago, she’d contacted a real estate agent to put her condo up for sale. She didn’t know where she wanted to go yet. Maybe back to Goldreich in Hong Kong, just like Kerri begged her to every time they talked. Maybe somewhere completely new.
When something wet trailed down her cheek, she brushed it away impatiently. This was her way of purging it all, reminding herself that she was strong enough to overcome her current difficulties and continue on her own.
A new life, like the open road in front of her, with the past forever left behind.
* * *
Alex checked the parking lot again. Natalie’s car was missing, and her condo was dark and empty. Nobody from her family knew where she was. To make matters worse, her cell phone had been disconnected, and there didn’t seem to be a new number. Alex resisted the urge to kick something as the sun began to set. It would’ve been satisfying but definitely not helpful.
Still, he kept the option in the back of his mind as he started to pace. It was difficult trying to predict her moves. There was a For Sale sign on her unit, which obviously meant that she was planning to relocate, but also meant that she hadn’t gotten rid of the place yet.
So she had to come back eventually, didn’t she? Maybe he should buy it, force her to meet him that way.
He rehearsed the speech he would make when she showed up. It needed to be sufficiently groveling, given what he’d done to her. Hopefully, she would forgive him. No, no. She had to. He was crazy about her, and he knew the feeling would never go away.
He paused as a sudden thought struck him. Had she gone to China to find her biological parents? That would be insane. He hadn’t been able to discover their identity despite all the money he’d spent.
A familiar convertible lurched to a stop in one of the parking spaces, and something inside him loosened when he saw Natalie in the driver’s seat.
* * *
Sitting in the parking spot, Natalie gripped the steering wheel so tightly it started to shake. Was it really Alex? God, how could he show up here again? What did he want? Hadn’t they said everything that needed to be said last time?
She considered driving away. It was extremely tempting.
Don’t be ridiculous. This is still your home. Maybe he would ignore her. He’d made his contempt for her clear.