“Do you need anything else from me?” Her voice trembled slightly.“An advance? More documents?”
“Just wait for my call. And live your life as if nothing’s happening. Show up at events. Put on a steady front. Let people question the rumors about you. For today, that’s all.”
She rose slowly.
“Thank you,” she managed. She turned to leave—and hesitated.
“There’s something else.”
Nolan’s attention sharpened.
“My family’s company released a new medication recently,” Nina said.“The research started when my father was still alive. But the clinical trials showed low efficacy, so he shut the project down. He and Frank argued about it for months. And a couple weeks ago I saw an ad for that drug.”
Nolan frowned.
“They launched it anyway?”
“I doubt they ran new trials. They wouldn’t have had time.”
“I’ll look into it,” he said.“You do understand—if that drug fails on the market, the company takes a hit? A big one.”
“I understand. But if Frank can’t be prosecuted, then any method works. I could record him admitting something—”
Nolan interrupted her with an amused shake of the head.
“A recording won’t hold up. We need a case so airtight even a miracle won’t help him. Leave that to me.”
She turned and walked out, feeling tension coil again through her shoulders. The hallway was quiet as she made her way back into the main room.
Julian stood at the counter. When he saw her, he stepped out and handed her a small paper bag with the shop’s logo.
She blinked.
“What is this?”
“A book,” he said simply.
Nina peered inside. A vintage edition. Expensive. Worn from time, but obviously valuable.
“But I didn’t buy anything.”
“We’ll add it to the tab,” Julian said with a mild smile.“You can’t leave without a purchase.”
She met his eyes and understood.
Cover operation. Clean accounting trail. Nothing suspicious. Genius.
A faint shiver passed through her. She felt like she’d stepped into the middle of a crime thriller. How many people like Nolan did Jasper know? How many dangerous men moved in his orbit?
She tightened her grip on the bag.
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
“Anytime,”Julian replied.
Nina stepped outside. The cool evening air brushed her skin like a reminder to stay grounded. She glanced toward the corner—and of course, the same black sedan was still there.
Good.
