“I haven’t got anything to say to you.”
“And what about the chief executive of Wilson Enterprises? Will he keep his job?”
Cassie knew how easily words could be twisted. If she answered any of Amanda’s questions, it could make everything worse. So instead of giving the reporter what she wanted, Cassie took a deep breath and pulled back her shoulders. “If you have any questions involving Mr. Devlin, I’d suggest you ask him. Good night.” And with her head held high, she walked out of the ballroom.
Chapter 15
Noah looked across the table at his grandfather and frowned. He didn’t know where Cassie had gone, but he’d promised he wouldn’t leave her on her own.
For most of the night, she’d stayed at the table, talking to the guests who came to congratulate her. But fifteen minutes ago, she’d left and hadn’t returned.
“…and then the police were called. Well, you can imagine my surprise when a detective knocked on my front door.” Mrs. Parker, looking regal in her Cartier diamond and pearl necklace, was telling him about the latest drama in her apartment building. “The detective was so nice. He gave me his business card and told me to call him if I remember seeing anyone.”
“Mr. Devlin?” The maître d’ stood beside Noah. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I have an urgent matter that needs your attention.”
Noah glanced across the table at his brother. Had he noticed his desperation to get away from Mrs. Parker or was there really something he needed to fix?
But Jack was busy talking to their grandfather, not watching Noah.
With an apologetic smile, he turned to Mrs. Parker. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“No need to rush. I want to chat with your grandfather, anyway.”
As Noah followed the maître d’ out of The Rainbow Room, he almost felt sorry for his granddad. Mrs. Parker was a lovely lady, even if she was the most eccentric person he knew.
“This way, sir.” The maître d’ wove between the guests, heading toward the opposite side of the building.
Noah had been to the top of the Rockefeller Center before, so he knew where they were going. Bar SixtyFive was a popular venue for tourists and locals. Apart from an award-winning restaurant and bar, it overlooked some of the most famous landmarks of New York City.
They walked through the seating area and into a semi-enclosed terrace. Cassie stood down one end, staring across the Manhattan skyline.
“Ms. Harper would like to speak to you. If there is anything else you need, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
Noah nodded and studied the rigid line of Cassie’s body. Something had happened and it wasn’t good. Cautiously, he moved forward, not wanting to make matters worse by startling her. “Hi, Cassie. Is everything all right?”
She turned toward him and his heart sank. Her eyes looked red and swollen, as if she’d been crying for hours.
“Why didn’t you tell me about Emanuel Ricardo?”
For a brief moment, Noah’s mind went blank. Then he remembered who she was talking about. Deep, dark fear rose inside of him, making it hard to breathe. “The person who accused your father of copying his design?”
Cassie nodded.
The hurt expression on her face made him feel ashamed. If he could have traveled back in time, he would have told her everything when he first met her.
“Why didn’t you tell me he was working for you?”
“I didn’t know you were Tony Harper’s daughter until Jack completed your background check.”
“Your company believed Emanuel. You paid his legal fees.”
Noah ran his hand around the back of his neck. “We had no reason not to believe him. Emanuel worked with other high-profile companies. No one had a bad word to say about him.”
“You spread lies about my father.” Cassie’s voice shook. “You didn’t have any proof that copyright had been infringed, but you still went ahead with the trial. Your attorneys must have told you the chance of winning was low, but you didn’t care. All you wanted was to blame my dad for something he didn’t do.”
“It wasn’t as straightforward as that.”
“It should have been. Do you know how difficult it was for my family? My mom was struggling with her chemotherapy. Dad lost his job and no one wanted to employ him.”
