“You heard what I said.”
Silence fell—a dangerous silence. A moment later, it was broken by the sound of footsteps, followed by Henry’s voice. This time, he spoke more quietly, but his words were no less scathing—perhaps even more so. “Never call Kate a whore again.”
“Or what?” Richard challenged.
“You’ll see.”
“Was that a threat?”
“No,” Henry growled. “A promise.”
“Hey!”
I flinched in shock when someone suddenly appeared next to me. I turned and found myself looking into Giulia’s dark-brown eyes. I hadn’t heard her coming—probably because I’d been too absorbed in the conversation on the other side of the door. She didn’t seem to be judging me for eavesdropping. Her expression was soft and understanding, without a hint of disgust.
“You shouldn’t go in there,” she said.
“But Henry...”
“Can manage alone,” Giulia reassured me gently before I could finish my sentence. “If you go in there now, you’ll only be fanning the flames. And then Henry might really lose his temper. I’ve never seen him like this before.”
Worried, my eyes darted to the door. The angry voices continued, doing nothing to ease the knot in my stomach. If anything, they tightened it.
Giulia placed a hand on my shoulder. It was a warm, consoling gesture that brought me close to tears. “Come on. You can wait for him in my office. They’re so loud that you’ll still be able to hear from there. And I have tea. You look like you could use a cup.”
I nodded and followed Giulia, but my uneasy thoughts stayed with Henry.
50
Is it true that your brother’s girlfriend is a hooker?!
Message from Charles Eddington to Ethan
Henry
“Was that a threat?” my dad asked.
I twisted my lips into a grim smile. “No. A promise.”
We stood face-to-face in my office, neither of us backing down. The air between us was electric. It took every last bit of my willpower to not punch my dad in the face. He seemed to be practically begging me to do it, but I wouldn’t stoop to his level. Besides, it wasn’t really his face that I wanted to smash—it was Randell’s. There weren’t many things in life I truly regretted, but not calling the police that day at the cemetery was one of them.
“Calm down,” Vivian said, pacing nervously. She had burst into my office unannounced this morning, interrupting a phone call to show me the interview. “This bickering isn’t getting us anywhere.”
“What do you suggest, Viv?” my dad asked.
Viv? I raised my eyebrows. That was new.
“That we all take a deep breath.” She inhaled demonstratively.
I followed her lead and stepped back from my dad, though I kept my eyes fixed on him. He didn’t have to love Kate, but in my presence, he had to respect her.
“Why didn’t you tell me she’s a prostitute?” Vivian asked once everyone had calmed down a little. She had stopped pacing and was scrutinising me reproachfully. “It’s my job to keep these kinds of scandalous details out of the public eye. But I can only do my job if you talk to me.”
I clenched my teeth. “Kate isn’t a sex worker.”
Vivian’s eyebrows shot up. “So this Randell guy was lying?”
“Partially.”
