Page 69 of Marcel

Pressing a hand toher chest, she rubbed slowly, trying to eliminate the sickness there.She had not eaten anything this morning and was relying on caffeine.

No one understandswhat she was going through. Her heart was shattered, and she felt asif she had stopped for one minute; she was going to start breakingapart. She had to keep going.

*****

“Send herhome,” Marcel said tightly, pacing the length of his father’soffice. “She is in no condition to be here.”

“I triedtalking to her about her mother, and she refused to engage.”James stared at his son with a frown pleating his brow. “Perhapsthis is just what she needs. She is going through a tremendousloss-”

“That’sjust it, Dad, she says she is fine, and she is not. She is hanging onby a thread. She has been drinking coffee since she got up thismorning.” Passing his hand at the back of his neck, he tried towork out the kinks there. “She is so stubborn that she won’tlisten to a word I said.”

“Son-”

“No. If shewants to stay, then she is going to. I have work to do.”Turning on his heels, he left the office and closed the doors.

Turning left, he wentinto his office first to catch up on the meetings he had missed.

Forcing himself toconcentrate on work, he told himself his wife would be okay. What sheneeds right now is work to get her through the devastation of losingher mother.

*****

“Are you okay?”Marge stared at her anxiously.

“Of course. Whydo you ask?”

“You don’tlook so good, Nikki. Maybe you need to go home-”

“Not you, too.”She laughed as she pushed forward to pick up the files she had beenreading.

“I needJohnathon on the phone. And I also need Argell’s files on themerger. We have been pussyfooting around this acquisition for severalweeks and not getting anywhere.”

“How aboutsomething to eat?”

Nikki wrinkled hernose. “I tried the sandwich you brought me, which turnedagainst me. I was thinking of some plain soup. My stomach is notcooperating.”

“Some soupcoming up. I will call down to the kitchen.”

“Thanks.”While waiting until she had left, Nikki pushed to her feet and feltthe room spinning around. “Oh crap.” Clutching the edgeof the desk, she took several deep breaths. If Marcel happens to comeinto her office and see her like this, he is going to force her to gohome. And she could not afford to do that.

Making sure she wassteady, she took several tentative steps toward the cabinet andpoured herself a glass of water. Her stomach was turning. She wasreturning to her desk when the room tilted crazily. Crying sharply,she went down, the glass bouncing on the carpeted floor.

“They hadchicken and beef,” Marge announced cheerfully as she backedinto the office. “I figured you would prefer chicken-”Her eyes went huge as she saw the woman slumped on the ground. “Oh,my good Lord! Oh, my Lord!” Dashing to the desk, she put thetray down and grabbed the phone.

“Millie.”She cried in the receiver. “Get Mr. Hadley in here now, Nikki;Mrs. Hadley fainted.”

*****

Her eyes flickeredopen slowly, and for a second, she had no idea where she was.

“She isawake.”

Her eyes swiveledtoward the sound of the voice to see James and Matthew standingbefore her.

“Don’ttry to get up.” Her husband marched over to sit on the side ofthe sofa, a grim expression on his handsome face.

“I fainted. Inever do.”

“You have beenpushing yourself too hard.”

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