Page 87 of The Innovator

“So you know what it feels like to be framed?” A sardonic smile curved my lips. “You didn’t kill Adonis?”

“No. He was the most loyal bodyguard.”

“Who killed him?”

“No fucking clue.”

“Did he have an assignment from you before his death?”

Rafael went quiet.

“If you want me to help you, then I need to know the truth.”

“He was supposed to bring Natalie back at all costs.” His eyes looked anywhere but at me. “The day he died, he was going to abduct her.”

“The fuck!” I slammed a fist on the table, rattling a tray of empty shot glasses and mugs. “Anyone else involved? If there is, you’d best demand they disappear because I’ll make sure they’ll be six feet underground. Then I’ll ensure you lose more than just your reputation.”

“There’s no one else,” he replied quickly. “I didn’t want to hurt her.”

I snorted. “So why did you?”

He considered me for a moment, but didn’t reply.

“She agreed to the marriage because Caputo Holdings was going to finance House of LaRue to help them bounce back. Were you going to help her?”

Rafael grabbed an empty shot glass from the tray and spun it on the table.“I made a deal for her.”

“What kind of deal? With whom?” I demanded.

He stopped the shot glass, gripping it in his palm. “Why don’t you tell me how you’re going to help me? Then we can continue this discussion.”

CHAPTERFORTY-FIVE

NATALIE

I extended my stay a few days in Paris to accompany my mom to meet with Aunt Estelle. On Saturday, Mom and I walked into the conference room at House of LaRue. It was the only time Aunt Estelle could see us before flying out to Shanghai. We had to discuss the production of our limited-edition trench coat collection for the next season with new vendors.

I rubbed my mom’s back, giving her warmth and courage so she could endure this conversation without attacking Aunt Estelle.

Aunt Estelle looked up from her laptop and smiled. I wanted to run over and slap that look off her face. After hearing what Camille said, she needed to pay for her crime. Aunt Estelle wore a purple dress with her blonde hair in a French twist, looking cold and elegant. Two years younger than Dad, she’d been a widow for ten years. She’d spent her life overseeing LaRue with Dad until he passed. Her only daughter, Nicolette, had married a wealthy restaurateur and moved to Venice.

Aunt Estelle gestured for us to sit down. “It’s so good to see you both. Natalie, how’s your vacation so far? I’m surprised you came home just to follow up on a production.”

“House of LaRue is important to me. I think about it all the time, even when I’m on vacation. Dad would have done the same, right?” I pulled out a chair for my mom and sat down beside her. “This trench coat collection is new, and I worry if our loyal customers will respond well.”

“We’re all worried about the status of LaRue, so it’s natural for us to want it to succeed.” Mom interlaced her fingers on the table.

Aunt Estelle sighed. “There’s no need to worry. LaRue will continue to be loved by many. Once it sells—”

“It won’t.” I forced a smile on my face. “I won’t let my family’s legacy fall into the wrong hands. We don’t know who these people are. They could be criminals, and that would taint our family’s name.”

“They’re not criminals,” she barked. “They’re investors who are interested in helping us regain our status in the fashion industry. I don’t understand why you’d be opposed.”

“Eugene wouldn’t have wanted this,” Mom interjected.

“Eugene isdead, Charlotte.” Her words fell like ice chips cutting into my flesh. “He can’t help us. SoIneed to.”

I’d never despised anyone as much as I did her. How could she speak about her brother in such a callous way?

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