The Wife Who Knew Too Much(29)
For the next ten minutes, she read in silence, doing her best to maintain a poker face, conscious of Hank’s eyes on her the whole time. Finally, she closed the file and looked at him, smoothing her features into a bored expression.
“It’s nothing I didn’t know,” she said.
He snorted. “Really? The part about the missing girl? You didn’t know that.”
“Someone he was once involved with, who went missing years after they broke up. Why should that trouble me?”
“You’re in denial. There’s evidence of his involvement.”
Nina sighed. “I see what you’re doing, Hank.”
“I’m trying to inform you that the man you’re involved with has a possible murder in his past.”
She reached across the desk and touched his hand. “I’m sorry if things didn’t work out how you hoped between us. But smearing Connor won’t change that.”
He pulled his hand away, coloring. “This has nothing to do with us. Whether we’re together or not, I consider you a friend, and I don’t want to see you hurt. I can only conclude that your grief over Edward’s death has impaired your judgment. Or else you’d see this man for what he is.”
“And what’s that?”
“A con artist, who’s after your money, and who might be dangerous.”
“Because he couldn’t possibly be interested in me for myself.”
“You know I don’t think that. You’re beautiful and very desirable. That doesn’t make his intentions honorable.”
“I know you’re trying to protect me, Hank, and I appreciate that very much. But it is what it is. My feelings are not going to change.”
He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “I’m sorry to hear that. I think you’re making a grave mistake.”
He leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. Hank was nothing if not a shrewd businessman. He’d lost, and he knew it. He wasn’t going to give her any more trouble. But that didn’t mean he’d drop his vendetta against Connor. Nina would have to offer a real incentive if she wanted to protect Connor from Hank.
“I have a proposal for how to handle this, going forward,” she said. “Hear me out.”
She told him she would drop her opposition to the Saudi contract in exchange for Hank backing off on Connor and agreeing that he should be reassigned. Connor would no longer work for Lauren in PR, but rather become special assistant to the chairwoman of the board—Nina herself. Once he worked for her, he could travel with her, and nobody would raise an eyebrow.
“What you’re proposing would be an HR violation,” Hank said.
“This company is hardly a model of compliance. You were married to someone in your chain of command for ten years. And Edward—how many female employees did he sleep with over the years?”
“Exactly. And the company’s spent millions on payouts on sexual-harassment claims. I’ve learned my lesson. I don’t want to face that again.”
“You won’t have to. This is entirely consensual.”
“We’d have to get the lawyers involved, to review what you’re suggesting.”
“Are you saying you agree?”
“I don’t have much choice. I need your vote on this project, and you’re holding it for ransom.”
Nina was flush with relief. “Thank you. And Hank, your friendship means so much to me.”
He waved her off angrily.
“Enough bullshit, all right? You’re no better than Edward, looking for some boy toy. You never cared about me. Well, you got what you wanted. Don’t expect us to be friends going forward. I see you for who you are now. I have work to do. Get out of my office.”
Nina got up and walked out with her cheeks burning.
“If you’re stupid enough to marry him, you’ll get what you deserve,” Hank tossed after her.
15
She hadn’t planned to marry Connor. Quite the opposite. In her mind, this was going to last the summer. She’d be bored with him by September and let him down easy. Buy him a car or an apartment. Get him to sign an NDA. That was how Edward used to handle his women, and it had worked without fail.
That day in the office, after Nina voted her shares in favor of the Saudi deal, Hank delivered on his end. Connor was transferred out of PR and reassigned as her special assistant, effective immediately. While Connor cleaned out his desk, Nina sent Juliet to his apartment to pack a suitcase. The jet was on standby at Westchester Airport. They boarded in time for a late dinner and woke up in Italy. For the rest of the summer, they wandered where the spirit took them. Mount Fuji at dawn. A palm-fringed slip of white sand in the South Pacific. The Isle of Skye, where dusk lingered till midnight. Day and night, they were glued together, intertwined, touching, kissing, holding hands, making love, drinking too much, sleeping, Jet Skiing, working out, tiring of a place, moving on to the next one.
It wasn’t all play. That would’ve been tedious. She discovered that Connor was smart about business, much smarter than she’d given him credit for. She found his advice helpful enough that she let him read the materials that were sent to her. Deal memos, agreements, confidential cables. Inch by inch, she took him into her confidence. It was easy to rationalize. He was her assistant, hired by the company. He’d signed the required noncompete and nondisclosure forms. What trouble could he get up to when he didn’t even leave her sight? But now and then, even in bright sunshine, Nina would look at Connor and feel a chill.