Page 89 of The Innovator

She stared at me, but the glint in her eyes and the shift in her seat showed I’d rattled her. What would she do now?

* * *

Inside my apartment, I sat on the cushioned window seat and stared out at the spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower. People came from all over the world to Paris—the city of love—for the sensual atmosphere it offered.

I could sense love in the air, but if you looked deeper—if you paused and listened—there was a darkness here as well. It slithered like the mist hiding in the crevices of the ancient architecture, hovering around the cracks in the cobblestones, listening to tourists’ conversations, and clinging to the masks people wore to disguise their true selves.

Aunt Estelle always dressed like she belonged on a magazine cover, but the woman beneath the luxurious clothes and pricey makeup was a monster. What made her this way?

“Here.” Mom offered me a warm cup of tea and sat down next to me.

“Thank you.” The warmth of the teacup soothed my erratic nerves. I knew Mom had questions regarding me and the closet. Looking back, I’d been stupid not to share it with anyone. But I’d been terrified of losing my parents too.

After taking a sip, Mom looked at me. “Tell me about the incident.”

Her face hardened as though she was trying to fight for something she didn’t quite understand yet. Perhaps it was the lioness in her, wanting to protect her cub. Perhaps it was guilt knowing she hadn’t been there for me when I needed her. Emotions billowed in her eyes, and I wanted to help her, letting her know I was okay.

The dam in me burst, and tears rolled down my face. I couldn’t have stopped them if I wanted to. I didn’t even know I held so much pain in me.

Mom scooted closer and held me. “What happened to you, Natalie? Please tell me.”

“Remember how you and Dad used to travel a lot for work? And you brought me to Aunt Estelle’s?”

Mom stroked my hair like I was still a child. “Yes.”

“Nicolette and I never got along. We fought one day. I defended myself and pushed her to the ground. She scraped her knees, and that made Aunt Estelle furious.” I inhaled a breath. “She dragged me to the closet and locked me there until the next morning.”

“In the dark?” Mom asked quietly.

I nodded and spared her the part where Nicolette played the horror movie. Mom was already in too much pain—I didn’t want to add more pressure to her heart.

Mom tightened her arms around me, tears spilling from her eyes.

Her face strained when I told her about the threat. “She’s an evil woman. I always had a feeling that she didn’t love your dad the way he loved her. He was her big brother, so he got defensive whenever I said something bad about her.”

Love blinded people, whether it was a family member or someone else. I was afraid to truly love anyone because of this. Was I seeing the truth for what it was, or was I seeing an illusion that could eventually hurt me?

Mom cupped my face in her hands. “My job is to protect you, Natalie. You should have told me.” She dropped a kiss on my forehead. “Please don’t ever keep anything like that from me again. No matter how old you are, you’re still my little girl.”

Nodding, I took my mom’s hands in mine. “I will.”

An uncomfortable knot twisted my stomach as I replayed the scene in the conference room with Aunt Estelle. I saw the hatred for my family in her eyes.

Mom had planned on meeting a few board members in the following weeks, hoping to sway their votes in favor of not selling LaRue.

Mom took my empty teacup, walked over to the sink, and washed it along with hers. “Now that you’re not working at the City of Providence, do you want to come home?”

A hollow feeling formed in my stomach. I wasn’t ready to leave Providence—leave Grayson.

“I still want to know why Dad bought me that building. The mystery around his death has widened with Camille’s confession. Maybe the building is connected to his death? I feel like he wants me to find out. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sent the deed.”

Mom dried her hands, leaned against the counter, and nodded. “You focus on that while I focus on the issue over here. I need to speak to my lawyer about this recent development.”

I stood next to her. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. Grayson has been my support.”

She placed a gentle hand on my cheek. “I’m so happy for you. You went through hell with Rafael. The engagement with him was a bad idea from the beginning.”

“I was foolish.”

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