Page 99 of Sinful Beauty

“Happy Friday,” I answer.

My gaze flits to the television screen. A scroll on the bottom of the screen reads that the CEO of GSK Pharmaceutical has resigned. She’s the second pharmaceutical CEO to resign in three days.

An investigation into Lumina International is ongoing. Rumors are rampant, but thus far, the truth has yet to be released to the media.

“Happy Friday to you. What fabulous ritzy dinner am I interrupting?”

I snort. It’s true, Tristan has upped his game with reservations at a couple of swanky high-priced, impossible-to-get-into restaurants.

“I’m with William. Want to video?”

“Oh gosh, no. I went to the gym earlier and I’m a sweaty mess. But tell William hello.”

“Khelani says hello.”

He brightens and says, “Tell her to get her skinny arse back here.”

“Did you hear that?”

“Tell him I would if I could.”

“Huh. Still not loving New Jersey?”

“It’s no Geneva. But, I don’t want to talk about me. My life is boring. I want to hear about what new gift you received.”

Every day, I get a new gift. It’s unnerving. For one, I suspect he has an assistant somewhere doing all the shopping, and two, it tells me he comes from a world where money buys forgiveness. That’s not the world I come from.

“Yesterday’s gift was an outfit from Opia, this swanky store?—”

“I know what Opia is. Give me some cred.”

“Yes, well, I didn’t. Anyway, haven’t seen him yet today, but he’s supposed to be meeting me here. Assuming his flight gets in on time.”

“He’s swamped with the case?”

“He is.”

“Hold on just a second…someone’s on the other line.” A click sounds and I sit, stirring the whipped cream in my cocoa.

After we returned home, we both stayed in his apartment and he’d spend the day working from home or at the police station. At Tristan’s insistence, I didn’t go into the office. He said that until all involved parties are identified, he wanted me safe in the security of his building.

Swiss authorities assured him all involved parties have been identified. Mr. Peltz visited us at Tristan’s home and swore he wasn’t involved. However, it wasn’t until a banker by the name of Mr. Haussler was apprehended and Tristan interrogated him that he deemed it safe for me to return to the office.

Tristan’s mother passed away in transit to the hospital. His father has yet to plan any arrangements. Tristan shared others would be in charge of investigating his father’s role, which is a godsend because I don’t believe he has the stomach to investigate his father. I certainly couldn’t investigate mine. Tristan believes his father’s claims of innocence. For Tristan’s sake, I hope his father was blissfully unaware. He has apologized profusely for ever sharing the news of my pregnancy with his mother.

I’m still blown away by it all. Swiss investigators have set up camp in Lumina’s headquarters, and it’s my understanding a similar encampment is occurring in our offices around the world. Company moral has bottomed out. We’re no longer the scientific leaders we once believed we were. Some of us are criminals.

It’s amazing to me the entire story has yet to be leaked to the press, but the details are still being gathered and understood.

A business man in a trench coat sits two barstools down and sets a rolled paper on the bar. He gives me a curt nod.

“Still there?” Khelani’s voice comes through.

“Yes.”

William approaches the man to take his order.

“I’ve got to run.”

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