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“Is this meant to be a joke?” he said.
Charlotte gave a look of annoyance despite the sick tightness in her stomach. Will leaned closer to her and put a hand on the back of her chair indicating this was unexpected and out of character. Charlotte didn’t know whether to faint or stay in character. She opted for the latter and crossed her arms.
“You’re not intrigued in the slightest?” Antonio said to Charlotte. “Do you think this is a joke as well?”
She picked up the bread and looked it over, then dropped it back on the plate, wiping her fingers on a napkin that she then laid on top of the bread.
“Don’t tell me you don’t recognize it,” he said, watching her with a grin.
“Should she?” Will said. He’d moved to the edge of the seat, his legs positioned for action.
Charlotte nudged the plate away, shaking her head. She looked at Will as though she’d had quite enough, then stood.
“I’m not sure what you’re going for here,” Will said. “But I don’t think she’s amused. Your little joke has gone too far for Maddison’s taste.” He stood, taking Charlotte’s arm to lead her away.
“No, Maddison wouldn’t be impressed. I agree with you there,” Antonio said. “But I expected Charlie to be. I thought perhaps she had a grander sense of irony than her sister.”
The blood drained from Charlotte’s face, and her legs were jelly. Fainting was now a real possibility. But this was one scenario they hadn’t planned for, and fainting would not save them.
Chapter20
Charlotte kepther eyes focused on Will. His presence was the only thing grounding her. Will was staring at Antonio, his jaw tight.
“I’m not sure what you’re playing at,” he said, gripping Charlotte’s arm tighter. “But we’re leaving.”
“No,” Antonio said, and two guards moved into place to block their exit. “Not until I dismiss you. Charlie, we’ve never formally met, but you have been intimately involved in my previous trade. It’s okay to talk now, by the way. I know the surgery was a ruse so you could play the role of Maddison. Bravo, by the way. You did an excellent job.”
The only way Charlotte could see a way out of this was to talk her way out. But Antonio wasn’t Tony.
She cleared her throat. “You’re correct about the surgery and yes, my name is Charlie.”
“What are you doing?” Will whispered.
She ignored him. “I don’t know what other trade you’re talking about. I’m simply doing my sister a favor. Maddison does not want to lose your business. Everything we said today aligns with her wishes. She was unable to be here like Will informed you the other day. You didn’t want to postpone the meeting, so we improvised to keep you from giving up a very lucrative arrangement. Maddison is the best importer you’ll ever work with, and it would be a big mistake to sever ties with her simply because she improvised to keep you happy. However, if you feel the need to cease your agreement, Maddison will honor that. But think before you act. Don’t put an end to a productive partnership because Maddison was not available today.”
“You misjudge the situation. I am far from displeased to have you with me this afternoon.”
“Excellent. Then we will continue as planned and arrange for you to meet with Maddison herself on another occasion.”
“My dear, it wasalwaysyour presence that I desired, not Maddison’s. Well—perhaps not at the very beginning, but I went through a lot of trouble arranging this.”
“I don’t understand. Maddison is the businesswoman. She always has been. I’m nobody.”
“We all know that’s not true, don’t we?” Antonio tapped a finger on his lip. “I want to tell you a little story. Would you like to sit?”
“No.” She stepped closer to Will. He hadn’t spoken, and she hoped it was because he was too busy formulating a plan for their escape.
“Very well. I’m going to sit. Don’t think me rude.”
“It’s your threats that make your rude. We have other business in the city, and you’re going to make us late.” She was hanging on by a thread.
“Touché. But please, before you jump to any snap judgments, let me explain. When I first met Maddison, I asked her if we’d met before because she looked so familiar. She insisted we hadn’t, but I wasn’t convinced. That’s when I started digging and found out about her position as an undercover operative working with the FBI.”
Will shifted forward, moving so he stood slightly in front of Charlie. “How long have you known?”
“For some time. I went along with your scheme because my curiosity wasn’t satisfied. I didn’t mind. You always came here to my home, so I was the one in control. I could have killed you both at any time, but I couldn’t shake the sense that I knew Maddison from somewhere, and I wanted to know where.”
“You hadn’t met her before.”
