Chapter 8 - Dinner with the Whitlocks
Bennett was not working with Richard Corwin.
At least not intentionally.
That became clear forty minutes later when Luca called from outside Corwin Maritime’s waterfront offices.
Bennett had gone there to meet a client.
A client named Stephen Maddox.
Maddox controlled an investment vehicle partially funded by Corwin.
Bennett claimed he had no idea Corwin was involved.
Marin believed him.
Mostly because Bennett was too self-important to hide guilt well.
Adrian remained skeptical.
“People lie when frightened.”
“So do billionaires in hotel lounges.”
He looked at her.
“Fair.”
It was nearly midnight.
Their six hours had officially ended.
Neither mentioned it.
Theodore slept in Marin’s lap.
Adrian sat across from her in the library.
“Can I go home now?”
“Security finished checking your building.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
“Yes.”
She appreciated the answer.
“But?”
“I’d prefer you stay here.”
“Why?”
“It’s safer.”
“Also not what I asked.”
He exhaled.
“Because Corwin wants me uncertain.”
“And keeping me here proves what?”
“That he can’t reach you.”
Marin looked around the mansion.
“Adrian, I am not moving into a fortress because some rich psychopath sent me photographs.”
“I didn’t say move.”
“You’re thinking it loudly.”
His mouth tightened.
“I can arrange security at your apartment.”
“You already did.”
“Yes.”
She shook her head.
“This is insane.”
“Yes.”
That answer again.
The strange thing was that nothing about Adrian felt dishonest anymore.
Complicated.
Dangerous.
Morally uncomfortable.
But not dishonest.
A door opened.
A woman entered the library.
She looked about thirty.
Dark hair pulled into a loose ponytail. Jeans. Oversized gray sweater. Intelligent eyes strikingly similar to Adrian’s.
She stopped.
Looked at Marin.
Looked at Theodore.
Then looked at Adrian.
“You brought a woman home.”
Adrian closed his eyes briefly.
“Sofia.”
“You brought a woman home with a cat.”
“Sofia.”
“This is the best night of my life.”
Marin stood.
“You must be his sister.”
“Apparently he admits I exist.”
Adrian looked pained.
Sofia crossed the room and hugged Marin.
The Vale family had boundary issues in unexpected directions.
“I’m Sofia.”
“Marin.”
“I know.”
Marin stared at Adrian.
He held up both hands.
“I did not call her.”
“Luca did,” Sofia said. “He said Adrian finally did something interesting.”
“I’m revising everyone’s employment contracts tomorrow.”
Sofia grinned.
Then she looked at Marin more carefully.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
“Richard is awful.”
“You know him?”
“Since I was a kid.”
The humor disappeared from her face.
“He loved our father because Dad made people feel small. Richard thinks that’s leadership.”
Marin glanced at Adrian.
“And Adrian?”
Sofia smiled slightly.
“My brother has spent seven years pretending he doesn’t care what anyone thinks while secretly trying to become the exact opposite of our father.”
Adrian stood.
“I’m leaving.”
“You live here.”
“I’ll find somewhere else.”
Marin laughed.
A real laugh.
Unexpected.
Warm.
Sofia stared at Adrian.
“Oh no.”
“What?”
“You like her.”
Marin nearly dropped the cat.
Adrian’s face became perfectly blank.
Sofia pointed.
“That expression. That’s your guilty expression.”
“I don’t have a guilty expression.”
“You absolutely do.”
Marin stood.
“I should go.”
Sofia caught her wrist gently.
“Sorry. I’m making this strange.”
“It was strange before you arrived.”
“Fair.”
Adrian walked Marin toward the front hall.
Sofia called after them.
“Bring her back!”
“Sofia.”
“Preferably voluntarily!”
The door closed.
Marin bit her lip to avoid laughing.
Adrian rubbed his forehead.
“I apologize.”
“I like her.”
“Everyone does.”
“Does that bother you?”
“No.”
“Sounded like it.”
He opened the front door.
A security vehicle waited.
Marin looked at him.
“We need to talk about tomorrow.”
“The board vote.”
“Yes.”
“You’re not giving Corwin the terminals.”
“No.”
“Good.”
Adrian studied her.
“You understand he may continue.”
“He’s threatening strangers because he can’t win a business vote. Giving him what he wants teaches him it works.”
“That’s my view.”
“Then why do you look worried?”
“Because you’re the cost.”
The words hit her.
“I’m not yours to trade.”
“I know.”
“Then stop thinking like that.”
He looked away.
She stepped closer.
“You don’t protect me by letting another man control your decisions.”
“I protect you by removing you from the board.”
“Do that, then.”
His eyes returned to hers.
“Meaning?”
“Remove me. Publicly.”
“How?”
“Tomorrow you go back to your life. I go back to mine.”
Something in his face closed.
Marin felt it.
“It was six hours,” she whispered.
“Yes.”
“We can tell people we ended it.”
His jaw tightened.
“Fine.”
The word hurt more than it should have.
Marin hated that too.
“Fine.”
They stared at each other.
Neither moved.
Then Adrian opened the door wider.
Luca approached.
“I’ll take her.”
Marin stepped outside.
Before she reached the car, Adrian said:
“Marin.”
She turned.
For one moment, he looked as though he might say something important.
Instead:
“Lock your door.”
Disappointment surprised her.
“You have twelve security people outside my building.”
“Eight.”
“That’s not better.”
She got into the vehicle.
As Luca drove away, Marin looked back.
Adrian stood beneath the townhouse light.
Still watching.
She told herself ending the arrangement was intelligent.
Necessary.
Safe.
So why did it feel exactly like walking away from something before it had a chance to begin?
The next morning, Boston business news exploded.
A photograph from Clara’s engagement dinner appeared online.
Adrian’s hand rested at Marin’s waist.
She was laughing up at him.
The headline read:
ADRIAN VALE’S MYSTERY WOMAN: WHO IS MARIN WHITLOCK?
By eight o’clock, Marin had thirty-seven missed calls.
By eight fifteen, reporters were outside her flower shop.
By eight-thirty, Bennett had texted:
We need to talk. This is worse than you understand.
And at eight forty-two, an envelope was delivered to Marin’s apartment.
Inside was no photograph.
No threat.
Only a single legal document.
A copy of Vale Consolidated’s confidential board proposal.
Someone had highlighted one paragraph.
The proposed terminal sale would cost Richard Corwin nearly eighty million dollars.
Below it, someone had written:
Ask your boyfriend what happened to the last person who cost us that much.
Marin stared at the words.
Because the six-hour lie was over.
May you like
But whatever she had stepped into was only beginning.
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