Page 44 of Set In Stone

And here I thought combining it with his birthday wasclever.

Apparently, I wasn’t all that smart. But at the very least, his predictability showed me just how close we had grown over the past fewmonths.

Luckily for me, his inbox was still open and I was able to easily locate the article. I clicked on the email and read through it once more. The last time I read it, I barely comprehended it because I was too busy formulating questions in my head. This time, I was more careful to retain thedetails.

I read through its entirety and then read it again. I was looking for something, any small detail that would give me an idea of how to possibly fix this for Alexander. I didn’t want the interview to become public. With his sister’s possible deception in the mix, he didn’t need anything else on his plate. He had already sufferedenough.

I stared at the article for so long that my eyes burned and my neck began to ache. I stretched my head from side to side. I couldn’t figure out what Charlie had to gain by releasing this. I tried to remember what it was that Alexander said aboutCharlie.

“I suspect that Charlie is going to try to use this as a bargaining tool to strike a plea deal and I only have so much leverage with theDA.”

I wasn’t sure how this could be used as a bargaining chip. A crime was a crime, regardless of the pull Alexander had. My testimony was more than enough to convict Charlie, not to mention the phone records shared between Charlie and Trevor.But…

That’sit!

A plan started to formulate in my head. I couldn’t believe I didn’t think of it before. However, I paused for a moment, contemplating my impulsive idea. The last time I tried to help Alexander, I ended up in a coma. Alexander would be furious if I attempted to do anythingagain.

Screw it. My husband-to-be needs me right now and I’m the one holding all thecards.

I quickly exited out of the email that contained the article and opened Alexander’s sent bin. I scrolled down and located the email he forwarded me the day before. It contained the details about the trial date. It had been moved up, and I didn’t have much time to act. After reading the information I needed, I exited out of the email and set the computer back to the way Alexander had leftit.

It was after two o’clock in the morning when I quietly slipped back into the bedroom. Before climbing into bed, I made a quick stop in the master bath and was pleased to see that there was a bottle of vitamin C in the medicine cabinet. I popped a couple of tablets. There was a lot to do and a cold brought on by exhaustion was not on the itinerary. I needed to be healthy and rested if I wanted my wits about me to do what I had todo.

Moving back into the bedroom, I slipped under the sheets and settled in beside Alexander. He didn’t wake, nor did he stir. I was happy to see he was still peaceful. Resting my hand on his chest, I nestled into the crook of his arm. His body was warm against me as I placed a feather-light kiss to hispectoral.

“Don’t worry, baby. I’ve got this,” Iwhispered.

17

krystina

Ispentall of Sunday cursing the myth that was Vitamin C. The full-blown head cold that I was trying to prevent had shown its ghastlyface.

Alexander doted on me for most of the day. He called Vivian and asked her to come to the penthouse with a batch of her to-die-for chicken noodle soup. Unfortunately, I could barely taste it, but I still appreciated the gesture. In an attempt to stop Alexander from shoving cough syrup down my throat, I rested under a blanket on the couch and convinced him to have a Star Wars marathon with me. As I listened to Chirrut chant “I am one with the Force, the Force is with me”, I couldn’t help but wish that the power of the Force would be withmeso that I could get rid of my cold. There was too much to do, and I couldn’t let a ridiculous head cold slow medown.

Alexander didn’t know about my grand master plan to help him and I was positive that he would not go along with my idea. I struggled with my conscience, but I knew I had to keep him in the dark for the timebeing.

However, he never strayed far from my side, his presence always just around the corner. While I appreciated the care Alexander and Vivian lavished on me, it ended up being a very frustrating day. Pulling out my laptop to collect the few pieces of information I needed was nearly impossible. My conscience played tug of war every time I snuck a peek at my cell phone under the blanket to gather what I needed. I told myself that it wasn’t lying, but that it was for his protection, despite the fact that my angel had planted herself on my shoulder for most of the day and chastisedme.

By the end of the night, I somehow managed to get what I needed. Now here I was, Monday morning, with my guns locked and loaded. Despite the fact that I was miserable from feeling sick, I knew the untimely head cold just might work to myadvantage.

I sneezed when the elevator doors opened to the floor that held Turning Stone Advertising, a reminder of how I was going to have to get through the day sniveling into a tissue. Over-the-counter cold suppressants had become a major food group over the past twenty-four hours and I could only hope the meds would kick insoon.

“Good morning, Regina,” I greeted my assistant in a nasally voice. She looked up at me insurprise.

“Morning, Miss Cole. Are yousick?”

“Just a stupid head cold. Nothing major. Is the team ready to meet about the Beaumontproject?”

“I just saw Clive head into the main design room. The rest of the team is here as well. The strategy session is scheduled for eight-thirty, so I expect the rest will be in to meet you and Cliveshortly.”

“Perfect. Please tell them that I’ll be in there momentarily. I just have a couple of calls to make and then I’ll be in with my files onBeaumont.”

Regina nodded, and I continued on toward my office. When I entered, I quietly closed the door behind me and leaned my head back against it. Closing my eyes, I thought about the phone calls I had to make. Once I set things in motion, there would be no goingback.

Can I really dothis?

I shook my head, knowing that questioning whether or not I could do it was irrelevant. I had to for Alexander. When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to find a mixed bouquet of lilies and blue delphiniums on my desk. I frowned in confusion as I walked over to the desk and pulled the card from theholder.

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