Page 88 of Dangerous Temptation
Elena looked at the woman, trying to place her. She looked familiar. ‘Yes?’
A bright light suddenly turned on, blinding her. The woman lifted a microphone and grinned like a crocodile. ‘Caroline Woodward. WABC News.’
Elena took a step back and lifted her hand to shield her eyes. ‘Excuse me?’
‘As the daughter of former CFO Randolph Bardot, how do you feel about Wolfe Financial declaring bankruptcy?’
Elena didn’t know what was going on, but any mention of her father put her back up. She looked around for help. The restrooms were around the corner from the party. Nobody else was nearby but this reporter and her cameraman.
‘Shouldn’t the Wolfe family be trying to pay back the investors they swindled?’ the reporter demanded. Her eyes gleamed behind her black-rimmed eyeglasses. She’d caught the scent of fresh meat. ‘On that note, shouldn’t the Bardots?’
Elena tried to sidestep the duo, but the reporter blocked her way. She was trapped, and her heart began beating inside her chest like a snare drum. Flashing back, she remembered the reporter who’d trapped her in the stairwell of her building. ‘No comment,’ she said hoarsely.
The reporter smiled smugly, pulling the microphone back in for what would surely be another loaded question. Elena heard the clinking of glasses and the chatter of cocktail conversation. Dare she call out? Would that make things even worse?
‘You seem to be doing very well for yourself,’ Caroline said, rocking her head back and forth on her neck like a swivel. ‘How long have you and Alex Wolfe been seeing one another?’
‘No com –’
‘Was this your way of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps?’ The reporter bulldozed right over her, not waiting for an answer. ‘What are your mother’s feelings on the pairing?’
Elena’s mouth dropped open in shock. ‘I don’t think this is an appropriate discussion to be having.’
‘Not appropriate. I’d say that’s what most people are thinking about your relationship. The two of you have been seen all about town. Does Mr Wolfe feel no remorse? Have you no shame, eating at Jean-Georges while the common man is out there trying to rebuild his retirement portfolio?’
The common man. Elena didn’t know what to say. Technically, the majority of people affected by the Ponzi scheme had been high-end earners. She knew. She’d analysed the numbers. Bartholomew and her father hadn’t gone after chump change, but there was no way she could make that statement without seeming haughty and condescending. After all, her own mother had been a victim.
‘No comment?’ Caroline said saucily. ‘OK, what can you tell us about Bartholomew Wolfe? Has The Ax spoken about him at all? Are you aware of the man’s whereabouts?’
‘No, I don’t know anything about that.’
‘You haven’t asked?’ The cameraman panned to his partner and she gave an overly dramatic look of miscomprehension. ‘Do you think that the elder Wolfe is even alive?’
‘I –’ Elena’s brain froze. It was a low blow, and it took the wind right out of her.
Holding up her notebook, the reporter read off the facts. ‘Authorities have never found a flight manifest with Bartholomew Wolfe’s name in the days surrounding his disappearance. There hasn’t been any activity on his accounts. Do you give any credence to the long-held suspicion that he did not leave the country? And perhaps met the same fate as your father?’
Elena reached back to the wall for support. Revulsion was making her stomach churn.
The over-aggressive news reporter stepped into her space. Elena held up her hand to protect herself from the camera, but she couldn’t keep them both at bay.
‘Alex Wolfe has a reputed black temper,’ Caroline said salaciously. ‘Is there –’
‘Yes, he does,’ Alex said, stepping into the middle of the confrontation. ‘Caroline.’
The way he said the woman’s name made Elena shiver. She reached for his hand, but he pushed her behind him, blocking both the camera and the reporter’s view. Rage radiated from him. The air resonated with the violence of his mood, practically humming.
The reporter’s eyes widened and the reaction was magnified by her lenses. She licked her lips. ‘Mr Wolfe, what would you like to say about your grandfather?’
‘Absolutely nothing,’ he growled.
Seeing she’d tweaked a nerve, the reporter smirked. ‘Back to your relationship with Ms Bardot, then. Did you seduce her, knowing the public would consider her a sympathetic figure? Were you trying to rehabilitate your reputation?’
He took a threatening step forward and Elena reached out. Settling her hand upon his, she wove their fingers together and clamped down tight. His fist bunched, but he gathered himself. She could feel him reining his temper in.
He let out a sharp whistle. ‘Security.’
The reporter’s energy turned frenzied. She knew her exclusive interview was coming to an end. ‘Or perhaps your relationship with Ms Bardot goes back further than that. We’ve learned from classmates that she’s followed in her father’s footsteps and is somewhat of an economics savant. Was she complicit in the Ponzi scheme?’
