“Yeah, I saw the article.”
“I’m taking the chopper to go and pick up Marcus.” He runs a hand through his hair. “The board’s called a meeting, and Dad’s going to call him and tell him he has to be there.”
I can see from the look on his face how serious this is. It’s not just about scandal and the family’s reputation. A company’s success relies on its investors’ trust, and in business, perception is everything.
“I’m sorry,” I tell him. “Do you know how they got the story?”
His eyes flash with anger. “Yeah. It was one of the board members, Caroline Bennett. She told a friend who’s married to a guy who works at Korero.” He blows out a breath. “To be fair, it doesn’t sound as if Caroline knew the friend’s husband worked in media. I don’t think it was done in spite. But it doesn’t really matter now. She’ll have to resign.”
“How did Caroline find out?” I ask, puzzled. I can’t imagine either Caesar or Marcus telling people about what happened.
“It was Aurelia,” Caesar says, tight-lipped. “She met with Caroline on Tuesday. Turns out it’s not a good idea if she has wine at lunch.”
I remember her saying she was meeting with a family friend. I drove her to the restaurant. I recall a woman in her early forties, slim and dressed in a suit, with blonde hair cut in a bob. True enough, Aurelia joked about needing a snooze as I drove her back to the office.
“Is she okay?” I ask softly.
“Right now I don’t have time to worry about Aurelia.” He punches the button for the elevator and goes in as the doors slide open. “I’ll be back in about two hours,” he says. “It’s going to get busy here soon.”
I nod and watch the doors slide closed. Frowning, I turn and start walking down to Aurelia’s office. I’m surprised that shetold Caroline such an intimate detail about her family. I’m not sure if she’s going to be angry or upset at what’s happened.
As I get close to the door, I can hear a man’s raised voice. I pause and wait outside. I think it’s Edward in there. He’s not yelling, so I can’t quite hear what he’s saying, but he’s definitely giving her a bollocking. I can’t hear her voice at all.
Eventually, the handle turns and the door opens. Edward comes out and closes the door behind him. He sees me and rolls his eyes. “You know what’s going on?”
“Yes, sir.”
“She might need some time to reflect on what she’s done.” His expression hardens. “This is going to cause a hell of an uproar.” He turns away and stalks off, back to his office. When he goes in, he shuts the door with more force than is necessary, and it reverberates throughout the building.
I hesitate. Then I knock gently on the door. She doesn’t answer. I study my shoes for a moment, wondering whether to leave her alone. Then I knock again and open the door.
She’s sitting behind her desk, with her elbows on the surface, hands linked, her lips resting on her fingers. Her gaze lifts as I walk in, but she doesn’t say anything.
“You okay?” I ask softly.
She doesn’t reply.
I pause, not sure whether she wants to be left alone. “Do you want me to go?”
She blinks a few times. Then she covers her face and bursts into tears.
My heart goes out to her. After closing the door behind me, I cross the office and pause in front of the desk.
“Hey,” I say awkwardly, “come on, it’s not that bad.”
But she just gives big, heart-rending sobs, and in the end I can’t bear it any longer.
“Honey…” I walk around the desk, drop to my haunches beside her chair, and rest a hand on her back. “It’s going to be okay…”
To my surprise, she turns then, buries her face in the crook of my neck, and sobs her heart out.
“Aw…” I tip forward onto my knees, put my arms around her, and just hold her while she cries. This isn’t fabricated emotion meant to sway a man as she peeks behind her fingers. These are real, heartfelt tears.
“It’s all right.” I murmur other platitudes to her as I continue to rub her back. “It’s not the end of the world.”
“He was so angry,” she says, her voice muffled in my neck. I guess she means Edward. “I’ve let them all down.” She continues to sob.
My shirt’s going to be soaked, but I don’t care. “It was a genuine slip-up, that’s all. You’re only human, Aurelia.”
