Page 37 of Unveiled

“To speak to Lindsay!” He grabbed his phone off the mattress and shoved it in his front pocket.

Looking at the time, I rolled my eyes. “Val, it’s late.”

“Yes, I know.” He leaned down and placed his hands on each side of me, resting his palms on the bed. “I need to figure out what’s going on and why this lie is on the news. And…so unprofessionally.” He pressed his lips to mine before he hurried to the door. The outline of a gun was visible in his back waistband. When he clutched the door handle, he turned back to me. “Please try to get some sleep while I handle this.”

There was absolutely no way that I was going to sleep. I took a chance, standing with my arms crossed as I challenged him.

He arched a brow. “Isabelle, what are you doing?”

“This is about me, too.” I plodded into the closet and dressed in whatever I found, though I paid little attention to my choice.

He appeared in the doorway, hands in his pockets. “Isabelle, I don’t want you to get involved in this.”

“I’m already involved!”

“Very well.”

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

“Lindsay?” Valentino knocked on her bedroom door, but there was no answer.

“Open it.” I whispered, gesturing toward the doorknob.

“No.” He shook his head. Taking my hand in his, he led me to the open elevator. He took his phone out and gripped it so tightly, his knuckles turned white. I rested my hand on his tense bicep, causing him to relax a bit. The second the doors slid back, he held the phone to his ear.

Are you home?

Great, I need to see you in my office, please.

Yes, right now.

I followed him to the office and curled up on the couch against the wall. It was a mistake. The furniture was so comfortable, holding me perfectly. It made it almost impossible to stay awake. I took the throw blanket off the arm and wrapped myself in it, fighting sleep. Valentino perched on the side of his desk, distracting himself by texting.

“Are you telling Joseph?” I hugged my legs, resting my chin on my knees.

He nodded. “And Noah too.”

Lindsay entered the room, looking extremely sluggish. She glanced in my direction as she nervously approached Valentino. He bowed his head toward the chair in front of him. She rested on the edge, crossing her leg over the other.

“Have you seen the news tonight?” Valentino was suppressing his anger.

She tilted her head as her eyes darted back at me, then again at him. “Nooo, why?”

“It seems Isabelle is in the hospital losing our baby because of a fight we had about another woman?”

Startled, Lindsay jerked her head back. “I’m unsure where that even came from.”

“Apparently afamily repleaked untrue info about us.” His rage was growing stronger with each word he uttered.

“I swear to you both,” she looked back at me once again, “I didn’t tell anyone anything.”

Valentino lumbered to the other side of his desk and opened his laptop. After typing on it for a moment, he spun it around to face her, showing the headline. She gasped and covered her mouth.

“Fix it… immediately!” He gritted his teeth. “Am I clear?”

Nodding, she examined the screen closer. “I’ll work on a statement straightaway.”

He didn’t thank her, and neither did I. It looked as if he was growing suspicious of her, but he did not want to say it. Valentino often kept his feelings about others to himself, wordlessly observant of their every move. If she was a bad person, he would know soon.

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