at the café te

without being too obvious about it. The café was quiet for a week

tea and chec

0 p

dy c

:

l no

in a dark suit

before walking

Laur

look

es

I s

toward the

wn but didn't

is Dani

a wa

fortable under

acted me

contact

ig

took a

ut Adrian a

didn't

umed y

l fro

lready

uspe

't what I

id you

esit

astate

d at him fo

to disapp

almost

out how to tell you this w

start with

nod

have been seeing each

kno

tly because Adrian doesn't

kno

leane

y aren't s

N

y did yo

fted her

what he was doing. I want

studi

business im

t her a

t ki

secure a partnership with Laurent Ente

owered

sonally or throu

ot

w m

ave her

ession chang

t mu

es

ed out t

e serious th

ng company resou

you tel

d his hands

m before he makes a decision that

onsider

are

ou. Danie

't answer m

led fa

orporate inv

a no

estigate

n involved in a few transact

nk Victoria

king decisions he wou

was

was

nd careless with people's feelings, bu

rests at risk because of Victo

evidence?"

hed into hi

s of several

a folder o

open

hrough the

the s

quickly acros

ed anoth

comp

el n

to Victori

ntinued

approv

es

he

month

at the docu

e mo

Adrian had started comi

ia had begun appearing at L

osed the

nk y

ooked su

t's

se shoul

t you'd b

idered the

n't change t

udied her

e very

een tol

t a goo

n't k

em to know h

a st

opies of e

el n

wil

ed up he

more

es

through an unkno

el s

r en

left t

he black sedan park

Adrian was

ame café for an enti

expected to see

-

d Elena walk

man she had

talking for almos

t looked

't looke

had looked comp

phone v

me appeared o

hout taking his

el

e are

m b

h wh

all you

ed the

ion remain

her car and

n fro

n her meet with

on, the sight

d his as

a man named Da

was a

ticular

t do

cour

ended t

back in

g was ha

iage, he was beginning to wonder whethe

-

home, she went dire

on the desk and opened the

arate p

solu

omparing th

otect both families' business interests, but there

articular caugh

e a specific period had passed, certain

d the cla

checked

reach the required

d back in

mo

n't a lo

hone

er fathe

le

ir

me you met so

pa

di

you at t

ed toward

had foll

rest

as the

ssional

ind of

sin

-law's voice

planning, I hope you und

n at the marri

erstand the c

more complicated t

m

es

was

know about Adrian's rela

ilence on t

few seconds, but

what you're

cour

ded th

her attention t

r-in-law

t the fam

not ev

en

folder and op

re person she ne

la

-

rian came home l

ena in the

aving din

wait for m

look

know you w

ou I woul

did

ulled ou

he man you

ontinue

ch m

the

O

her bite befo

nie

does h

etween hi

expressio

o you keep se

ally look

you stopped keepi

n caught hi

hat suppos

thi

ow some

t down h

any thing

es nar

out

other t

ent, neit

quietly, "Are yo

stared

on was alm

N

ho is D

needed to

ut w

ing imp

frustra

re my

kno

d be able

studie

oul

didn't

nd picked u

work to

le

stop

ha

wanting an explanation h

thi

d and wal

mained at

years believing Ele

ie

end

o unde

irst time, he

the door to her bedroom

e from Danie

d to see this before you make a

red at th

ther one

s Victoria

sion final

with

int

repl

nd

home later

. She didn't look up when he entered, only reached for he

n't wait

im. "I didn't know

you I'd

d you wouldn

the chair opposite

emained fi

he man you

ontinue

ch m

n at th

Dan

expressio

now hi

es

does h

her fork and

s on why you

because you'

nd

w tigh

y you're meeting stran

brows lifte

d your

exactly wh

t think

leaned

is

ssional

f profession

sin

busi

ied him fo

unusually

the qu

mained

ience began

fe, and suddenly you're meeting a man in secret, looking through o

ression rem

what conc

should co

I need your permission

n't what

nded li

d his chair

r acted like

e never given

ded harder th

stared

hat suppos

cked up

l evening. I'm beginning to thin

don

y are yo

u're hiding

directly in

are

hat followed

s face

uld see that he understood e

l," he sai

h wh

ations you

e him a f

ccuse you o

to. I can see

ed almos

g what you ex

an s

rying to t

N

op playi

y rose from

play game

plate and turned t

rist before she

d down at

back

t g

mediately, but his exp

who Dan

N

d to anger him more tha

hy

I don't

re my

kno

rt acting

at him for se

xactly does

had no

wife mean I should answer every question

ession h

lking abou

es didn't

t say he

dn't ha

er si

ooked aw

a sa

t smile t

ight,

alked

le

he doorway but d

lanning to

mained

ered without

life where I have to ask permis

leaving Adrian alon

seconds, he

phone v

a was c

d at the

he didn'

ined fixed on

ng had

t know when i

suspect that Elena had been c