“Funny how the situations can turn. You are lying to someone you say you love. You’re no different from me. We are the same, Mena. I can’t give up on you and you want to know why? Because there was a time when you were head-over-heels in love withme.You swore to lovemein good times and bad, but now you look at me with contempt and can’t forgive me. When Julian learns the truth about you, that you are still married and you didn’t tell him, his feelings will change too. He won’t forgive you either.”
Pushing against the bar, Mena slid off the bar stool and stood.
Michael’s hand gripped her forearm, pulling her back toward him.
Mena snatched her arm from his grasp. “Don’t touch me.”
“And when he leaves you, I’ll be here waiting to love you like you were meant to be loved.”
“I don’t want you or your love.”
Michael’s arm slithered around her waist. His hot breath burned against her face as he pressed against her.
“Love can make people do things they wouldn’t normally do,” Michael whispered in her ear, then pressed his lips against the side of her head. “We will never be over.”
Mena writhed within his grasp, struggling to get free. “Let go of me.”
A command, forceful and intense, came from behind her. “You heard the lady. Let her go.”
Chapter Five
Hand trembling, Mena struggled to calm herself as she pressed a finger against the biometric lock on the door and entered the Conservators Workshop. The cluttered desks of her team of four conservators had been left in disarray when they went to lunch. She was grateful none of them had returned yet, giving her at least a few moments of peace to collect her thoughts after the run-in with Michael.
“You forgot your lunch.”
Mena flinched. “I didn’t order lunch.”
“Really? Well, here’s a salad, anyway. Can’t have my Head Conservator lacking energy to get her work done.” Beaujean Ali, the new owner of the Genesis Gallery, dropped the to-go container onto her desk, then crossed his arms over his chest.
Uneasy, Mena struggled with what to say. After moments of uncomfortable silence, Mena said, “Thank you for stepping in back there.”
Beaujean took a long look at her. Too long of a look. Mena grew tense and uncomfortable under the scrutiny.
“What was that about?” asked Beaujean.
Mena swallowed and took a deep breath. “My past coming back to haunt me. That guy knows things that could hurt someone I love, and I’m not sure what to do about it.”
She wasn’t sure why she’d just revealed something so personal to her new boss. Something about his tone warned her that lying or trying to evade his question wouldn’t be in her best interest.
“How about some simple advice.”
Mena was quiet, relieved that he didn’t ask any more probing questions about Michael.
“Secrets hurt the most when you find them out from someone else instead of the person you love. If that guy knows something about you that’s as bad as I’m guessing it is, then you need to be the one to tell it. All of it. Leaving nothing out. Then let the chips fall. The results might surprise you.”
“Pretty wise advice from an art gallery owner,” Mena whispered, slumping down into a nearby chair. It was advice she wasn’t ready to take. Deep down, she truly believed she could convince Michael to sign the divorce papers and end her marriage without Julian ever finding out. If she’d just contacted an attorney back then and officially filed for an annulment, maybe she wouldn’t be in this mess right now.
“Learn from my mistakes. Things could be very different for me if I hadn’t lied to the woman I loved. Different for her too,” Beaujean said. A dark sadness settled on him, likely from the pain of whatever memories he was reliving. Mena wondered what secrets haunted her new boss. Could they be worse than her own?
Beaujean continued, “You know, I found out a lot about you in the HR records. Can’t help but wonder if the incident at the Genesis Grill was related to the terrible things you experienced while working here before.”
“What things?” Mena asked.
“Apparently there was a pregnant woman who showed up at the gallery late one night. She held a gun to your head and took you hostage. Then you delivered her baby on the side of the road,” Beaujean said.
“Who knew my HR file was that accurate.” Mena couldn’t hide the sarcasm in her voice. Back then, she’d trusted Priscilla to keep those details from being known by the rest of the staff. She guessed she shouldn’t be surprised that they were all documented in her personnel records. Those events felt like a lifetime ago.
“Whatever happened to the pregnant woman and the baby?”
