Page 92 of Until You (Forgive Me)

“Leave this to me,” she said, a sly smile gracing her lips. “I can get them here. Then the rest is up to you.”

“How will you do that without someone letting Pierce or Edward in on the meeting?” Isabella asked.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Danielle, but if Pierce had an inkling of what they were planning, he might try to cover his tracks or make a run for it.

“Believe,” she said, winking at Isabella before grinning. “It’s Pierce’s birthday in a couple of weeks. A big one. He’ll be sixty. I can invite them for dinner on the proviso of arranging a company-wide celebration. That is one of my hats, after all.”

“But won’t they expect Edward to be in on it?” Isabella watched as Danielle pulled a face.

“Believe me, your ex-fiancé is not a well-liked man in the company. He has burned a lot of bridges over the past seven years. If it wasn’t for his father’s position, they would have kicked him to the kerb a long time ago.”

The look of disdain on her face was clear. The plot thickened.

By the time she and Christian left, they had set the trap. Danielle had crafted an invitation while they were there, sending it out. Several members had come back almost instantaneously. Danielle had giggled like a little schoolgirl. Apparently, her soirees were well known and always well-attended. Where Isabella had held doubt they could pull this off, now she had hope.

Christian hugged Danielle before walking to the car, leaving Isabella alone with her. Danielle’s eyes followed Christian.

“He’s a keeper, that one,” she said.

“Don’t get any ideas. It’s impossible. My life is no longer here. I have to go home once all this is resolved. Plus, that is not the relationship we have.”

Danielle stared at her wide-eyed before her lips parted in a wide smile.

“A man does not look at a woman the way that man looks at you without it meaning something,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “Your father used to look at me that way. I know people thought I was a money-grabbing whore, but our relationship was so much more than that... I miss him every single day.”

Her hand came up and cupped Isabella’s face, her eyes filling with unshed tears.

Isabella stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. “I know how much my father loved you,” Isabella said against her ear. “You made him so happy.”

Danielle pulled back and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “Thank you for saying that.”

Isabella smiled, her own throat tight with emotion. “It’s the truth.”

Danielle straightened. “Then let’s make him proud and get this S.O.B. for what he has done.”

Isabella looked her stepmother in the eye and smiled. “We will.”

She turned and made her way back to the car, where Christian was waiting for her. He opened the door and let her slide in, following her into the back seat before giving his driver directions. He needed to get back to the office. Isabella was very aware of how much time he was spending on her problems. He had been awake at two in the morning on the telephone to Richard and then to Henri. She needed this resolved. More for him than anyone, as he wouldn’t let it go until they had made Pierce pay. Danielle had given her hope. Together, they would set this up. Toby and Christian could then back her up when she addressed the board. This had to work, but if it didn’t, she was no better or worse off than she had been before.

∞∞∞

Scarlett accompanied Isabella to buy herself an outfit for Saturday night’s dinner. She’d missed her friend over the past couple of weeks, after she’d travelled north to work on a music video. The artist and choreographer had suffered artistic differences in opinion. Scarlett had been called in by the record label to bridge the gap between the two, but when that failed, she took over the job.

“Two complete hotheads,” she scoffed. “Artistic licence, blah, blah, blah. In the end, he lost the gig, and I’m not sure it’ll do his reputation any good. Which is a shame. He’s an excellent choreographer, just green.”

“Have you spoken to him since you took over?” Isabella asked, sipping on her iced latte as they walked down the street towards their shopping destination.

“I’ve left him some messages. I’ve asked him if he wants to meet with me to discuss some projects we have on our books. I liked his style. His attitude, however, needs work. With a go-between, I think he could go a long way.”

“How many choreographers do you have working with you now?” Isabella asked.

Her friend had become one of the most sought-after choreographers in the music business, working with some of the major names in the music industry both on their tours and for their videos. Her time studying in America led to her creating many contacts. Those had led to recommendations. She’d been offered a back-up role on a major artist’s tour. Scarlett stepped in and saved the day when the head choreographer was taken seriously ill. She hadn’t stopped working from that moment on. Branching out on her own, she set up her company, employing up-and-coming choreographers, and had a hand in every project. Isabella couldn’t be more proud of her friend.

“If he knows what’s good for him, he’ll contact you,” Isabella said, linking her arm through Scarlett’s.

“My thoughts exactly. Anyway, enough about me. What’s the latest with you? When are you heading back? Or are you going to stay for a while longer and warm my brother’s bed?”

Scarlett pulled a face at the last part of her sentence, making Isabella laugh and smack her on the arm.

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