Discretion (The Dumonts, #1)(60)

“What was the deal, Olivier? What did you agree to?”

“I agreed to step aside from any company matters. I signed a contract that said in ten years I would have to relinquish all my shares of the company and give them to Gautier.”

“But you just said all of this happened ten years ago.”

He nods. “And so the deadline was just around the corner. And now . . .”

“Is that why you didn’t want to have anything to do with the Dumont brand?”

“Ten years ago, I had to make a decision that I would go in a different direction. I was never going to go into hotels originally. I was going to have Seraphine’s job, then my father’s. It’s what I wanted, it’s what my father had wanted for me. It was expected, it was needed . . . and I had to step aside. It’s been so long that I’m okay with it—I like being a hotelier, I like what I do, and I’m good at it. But I’ve never been able to tell my father, or anyone, that I didn’t step aside because I didn’t want it. I did it because I had to.”

This is blowing my damn mind. “You’ve had to live this lie all this time?”

“All this time.”

“And your fucking uncle. How dare he? How dare he blackmail his twenty-year-old nephew into doing that!” Suddenly I’m so full of rage I think I’m going to blow steam from my ears. That horrible man with the horrible eyes. “He could have lectured you, not threatened you, not extorted you.”

“I went along with it. I would have done anything for him not to tell Pascal or my father. I was so ashamed. I know it would break this family, shattering it more than it already was. And . . . Gautier . . . he doesn’t leave you a lot of choice. You understand? He’s not like us.”

“You’ve said that many times. Obviously, I see why.”

“No, I mean,” he says quickly, licking his lips as he positions himself closer to me, holding my hand tighter, “he’s a dangerous man. Okay? He was then, and he’s even more so now. He has friends in high places and low places. The mafia. Cartels. Russia. Who knows? You don’t get to his level of success by playing it nice.”

“But your father did.”

“He did by working hard and sticking to his guns. Gautier has done nothing. He’s only where he is because of who he was when he was born. My father was the oldest, the one primed for it. Gautier only took interest and was made cochairman because my father was too nice. Too loyal. Too trusting. And now . . .”

“Now?”

“Now Gautier will take over the company.”

“What about Seraphine?” I ask.

He shakes his head slowly. “The deal was that I step aside. I was the final obstacle, and I was removed. There are wills and documents that will say that I am the next boss, that I am taking over my father’s role. And I will have to publicly stand up and say that I am handing the keys to Gautier. There is no doubt that Pascal will then take over Gautier’s role, and Blaise will take over Pascal’s. Seraphine will stay where she is . . . if she’s lucky.”

“This is crazy. Olivier, you can’t let them do this. You can’t let them win.”

“We all know what will happen if I don’t.”

“No one will care? You think Pascal doesn’t know you slept with his ex-wife? He knows. You can tell. And as for Seraphine? Renaud? They’re family. Your real family. The good ones. They won’t care.”

“It’s not that easy.”

“It is.”

“You don’t understand, it’s not just about keeping all of this a secret in order to spare myself from shame. It’s about power. I gave them power, and now it’s too late. If I don’t do this, there will be consequences. Dangerous ones. I told you who my uncle is connected to. Don’t for a second think he won’t retaliate. He knows about you, and I know that he’s going to go out of his way to make sure we’re driven apart.” He grows quiet. “Or worse.”

My mouth drops open. “What?”

“That’s what I couldn’t tell you. You have a mark on your back, a target, and they’re the ones holding the arrows.”

“You can’t be serious,” I say but then trail off because again it’s making sense. What Pascal said. It’s not just that he’s out for revenge, it’s that he wants what Olivier supposedly took from him. If Olivier slept with Pascal’s wife, then his uncle probably thinks he has a right to ruin our relationship the way that Olivier did his son’s.

“I wish I wasn’t, but that’s what my uncle told me, and I have no reason not to believe him. Why do you think I’ve never settled down?”

“Uh, because you’re young and hot and filthy rich. Why wouldn’t you have a different model for a different day?”

“Because that’s a stereotype that I play into. Because no one questions it. Because people expect it, even want it. But that’s not me. Sadie, that isn’t me at all.”

“He can try to fuck with your relationship all he wants, but if it’s a good one, it won’t crumble just because he’s gotten involved. What’s he going to tell me? You’re cheating on me? Is he going to set it up to have someone seduce you? Seduce me? Will there be staged photos leaked to the press? It doesn’t matter. I’m yours, Olivier. They can’t take that away from me.”