“You gotta know her family if you want to know about her.”
“True enough.”
“You want a quick summary? There really isn’t much about her.”
“Okay. Go for it,” I say, interested to know what Antoine thinks about Elizabeth and her brothers.
“I’ll start with her brothers. I don’t know how she ended up the way she is, because her brothers are pretty arrogant and set in their own ways.”
Huh.
“Her oldest brother is a cold-hearted jerk who’s in venture capital. Her second brother is the actor Ryder Reed, who, as we all know, has an amazingly messy history with all sorts of women. There’s actually a Facebook support group for chicks he’s ‘humped and dumped.’ He got married not too long ago, but who can guarantee she won’t be joining the support group soon? Then her younger brother, Elliot, who’s really her half-brother, released a sex tape. My understanding is that he did that to piss off his parents. And his twin had an accident that left him disfigured and limping. Ever since then, he’s become a hermit. Finally, her mother, Geraldine Pryce, is a complete bitch.”
I don’t need Antoine to know that.
He continues, “I can see why her grandmother didn’t want Geraldine to take over the family foundation. She thinks poor people are poor because that’s what they deserve. And her father, Julian—well, we already know what an asshole he is.”
“Get to Elizabeth.”
“I am getting to her. But you need to know the background…”
I sigh loudly enough that he can’t miss it.
“Fine, fine. Elizabeth spent almost all of her childhood in Europe, in boarding schools. She rarely came to the States. I imagine spending time in the U.S. wasn’t high on her list of things to do based on the fact that her mother is a bitch and her father was always busy with some new trophy wife. So after you guys broke up ten years back, she dated several men in her social circle—their names are in the dossier I just emailed you—but five years ago, it all abruptly stopped. She quit appearing in social settings for almost six months, then suddenly she started to attend those events with Nate Sterling. But they aren’t lovers. That I’m sure of. There is no indication of any romantic or sexual stuff going on between them at all, contrary to what people say.”
I rub my lower lip. Antoine is definitely right about this. Now that I can reflect more objectively about Nate’s proposal, I can see it wasn’t the kind that’s made between people who love each other. Somehow he found out about Julian’s scheme and wanted to help. It’s possible Nate has romantic feelings for Elizabeth, but she certainly doesn’t have them for him. I’m pretty sure she’s fond of him, as much as I hate the idea. But I’m positive it isn’t love.
“Elizabeth is also worth about seventy million dollars.”
Seventy million? I knew she was rich, but not that rich.
“Her grandmother, Shirley Pryce, left her everything except for a few hundred thousand for the household staff. Although Elizabeth is currently leading the Pryce Family Foundation, she doesn’t draw any salary. The foundation pays for her expenses when she’s on business, but nothing excessive.”
“This isn’t much.”
“No, it isn’t. Most people don’t want to say anything negative or gossipy about her. It’s like they’re either afraid to talk or she really doesn’t have any skeletons in her closet. So if you’re considering blackmailing her, I don’t think that’s going to be possible.”
“Blackmail’s the last thing on my mind.” I pause. “Is there anything in the last ten years that looks suspicious? Maybe some kind of physical altercation?” Even as the words leave my mouth, I realize how ridiculous it sounds that someone like Elizabeth would be in a fight.
But that scar…it’s real.
“Other than some annoying stalkers that were taken care of by her security team, nothing. What sort of specifics are you looking for?”
“Not sure.” If Antoine dismisses them as “annoying” and “nothing,” they’re a minor nuisance.
I’m trying to put the pieces together, but they don’t make sense.
Maybe…
Is Kristen right?
I let out a shuddering breath. My emotions are veering crazily among shock, outrage, disbelief and uncertainty.
I have to get a grip. You can’t solve a problem if you start out with the wrong assumptions. The early astronomers proved that. What if there is a simpler, more logical answer? I just need to shift my paradigm a little bit.
My gaze drifts back to the bedroom. Elizabeth hasn’t stirred.
“Keep digging into Julian,” I say to Antoine. “And thanks for the information about Elizabeth.”