Vengeful in Love Read online

  “Nobody was supposed to be hurt! But if it had to be someone, Natalie’s the one who can afford it.” She wrung her hands. “I don’t… I’m in love with Charlie.”

  Alex looked at the homely girl, only now realizing that she had been taking more care with her appearance recently. Her nails were done, and she was actually wearing earrings. Still, she was never going to be a beauty. Rodale must have seemed like a dream come true when he expressed interest in her. Alex felt a stab of pity, but one thought of Natalie made it vanish.

  “How did you get the data?” Ethan said. “Only Natalie and I had access to it.”

  “She saw it on Natalie’s computer,” Alex said. “Didn’t you? You’re always in and out of her office, and she trusts you. It wasn’t that difficult, was it?”

  “I think I want a lawyer,” Danielle said slowly.

  “You can call one if you like,” Alex said. “But here’s what’s going to happen if you do. I will use every resource at my disposal—every resource—to make your life miserable. I’ll tie you up in court until you’re ready for a retirement home. Every cent of the money Rodale is paying you will be spent on legal fees. You will have to sell your clothes, your jewelry, your car, and your house simply to stay afloat, and still it won’t be enough. There is no place on this planet you can go to where I will not be able to find you.” He gave it a moment to sink in. “Or, you can come clean with me right here, right now. Tell us what happened, and why, and I won’t press charges. You’ll have to leave DDE, of course, but I won’t hinder you in a search for a new job. It will be over.” He leaned toward her, bringing all the force of his personality to bear. “This is a one-time offer, and it’s good for the next sixty seconds. Decide.”

  Danielle looked from one man to the other, her eyes wide. Alex looked back at her steadily. Ethan’s face seemed carved from stone. Finally she sagged. “It was like you said,” she said in a small voice. “I knew when she was going to be working on the NSA bid, and I just created excuses to be in her office. Once or twice she would put something else up on the screen, but usually she just left whatever was on there to begin with. I’d get her to sign something, or ask her to help me with something.” She shrugged. “It wasn’t that hard.”

  Ethan swore. Alex experienced a brief soaring elation. Vindicated!

  “You are hereby terminated, effective immediately,” he began. “Empty your desk within the next fifteen minutes, and security will escort you out. If I see you anywhere near DDE again, I’ll have you up on charges for corporate espionage. There is an eyewitness here and the intercom has been on this whole time, so my secretary also heard what you’ve said. Stay away, and we’re done. Come back, and I’ll make sure you’ll never get a job higher than assistant burger flipper again. Am I making myself clear?”

  She swallowed and nodded, her lower lip trembling slightly.

  Alex stared at her. “You now have fourteen minutes.”

  “Damn, I screwed up,” Ethan said when Danielle was gone. He stood up a little straighter. “About my resignation. I’ll—”

  “Forget it. I’m the one who screwed up. I’ve been unbelievably faithless.” He recalled Natalie’s stricken expression—the way he’d tossed out the truth about her adoption—and closed his eyes briefly. God, he’d been a bastard. Was it too late?

  “Eleanor,” he said to the air, “I’m canceling all my appointments for the day. I don’t care who calls, I’m not available.”

  He needed to see Natalie. Now.

  * * *

  The convertible gleamed under the sun as it flew over the country roads. The wind tousled her newly cut hair and dragged at her silk top. Natalie felt chilled and exhilarated at the same time. And she was loving every second of the crazy fast drive.

  She’d taken extra care to look her best this morning. Moping time was over—she was starting fresh. Away from the Halls, the Rodales, Alex, and everything else. She’d seen her lawyer earlier in the week to change her last name to Chang, thinking it was sufficiently Chinese-sounding and might suit her better. Besides, it was all she had of her real ancestry. She didn’t want to be called Hall anymore. And two days ago, she’d contacted a real estate agent to put her condo up for sale. She didn’t know where she wanted to go yet. Maybe back to Goldreich in Hong Kong, just like Kerri begged her to every time they talked. Maybe somewhere completely new.

  When something wet trailed down her cheek, she brushed it away impatiently. This was her way of purging it all, reminding herself that she was strong enough to overcome her current difficulties and continue on her own.

  A new life, like the open road in front of her, with the past forever left behind.

  * * *

  Alex checked the parking lot again. Natalie’s car was missing, and her condo was dark and empty. Nobody from her family knew where she was. To make matters worse, her cell phone had been disconnected, and there didn’t seem to be a new number. Alex resisted the urge to kick something as the sun began to set. It would’ve been satisfying but definitely not helpful.

  Still, he kept the option in the back of his mind as he started to pace. It was difficult trying to predict her moves. There was a For Sale sign on her unit, which obviously meant that she was planning to relocate, but also meant that she hadn’t gotten rid of the place yet.

  So she had to come back eventually, didn’t she? Maybe he should buy it, force her to meet him that way.

  He rehearsed the speech he would make when she showed up. It needed to be sufficiently groveling, given what he’d done to her. Hopefully, she would forgive him. No, no. She had to. He was crazy about her, and he knew the feeling would never go away.

  He paused as a sudden thought struck him. Had she gone to China to find her biological parents? That would be insane. He hadn’t been able to discover their identity despite all the money he’d spent.

  A familiar convertible lurched to a stop in one of the parking spaces, and something inside him loosened when he saw Natalie in the driver’s seat.

  * * *

  Sitting in the parking spot, Natalie gripped the steering wheel so tightly it started to shake. Was it really Alex? God, how could he show up here again? What did he want? Hadn’t they said everything that needed to be said last time?

  She considered driving away. It was extremely tempting.

  Don’t be ridiculous. This is still your home. Maybe he would ignore her. He’d made his contempt for her clear.

  When he trotted toward her, her stomach knotted. So much for wishful thinking. She braced herself and looked straight ahead, her thoughts racing.

  “Natalie.”

  One heartbeat. Two. Finally, she glanced at him. She was thankful for the jet-black sunglasses she had on.

  “You cut your hair.”

  She almost raised her hand to touch the short tips that brushed her neck. But there was no reason for her to finger-comb it. She no longer had to play the proper daughter of a powerful U.S. senator—and she had no reason to try to impress Alex.

  “Can we talk?”

  Alex’s voice was gentle, and absurdly, it made her want to cry. It held the warmth that had never failed to make her insides melt. But that warmth had been a lie, hadn’t it? To keep her in the dark while he was plotting behind her back…to set her up for something she hadn’t done. Something she’d never even considered doing.

  She took a deep breath and got out of the car. The four-inch dress sandals she wore added to her height, and she was thankful she had taken so much care with her appearance that morning. She knew she looked good. Eat your heart out, she thought. Now all she had to do was keep it together in front of him.

  “I thought we were done.” Her voice was steady. Her gaze was steady.

  Steady.

  Alex reached out and gently took her wrist. “No.”

  The contact seemed to burn her skin, and she almost cried out. What was he up to now? Hadn’t he done enough?

  “Let go.”

  He kept his hand where it was. She
could feel the heat and intensity of his gaze even through the sunglasses.

  “Ethan turned in his resignation.”

  She laughed. “And…what? You want me to fill his position?” God, she had to get away. A moment longer and she would crack, cry like some pathetic loser. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction, even if it killed her to hold everything inside.

  “Natalie, I was wrong. I know you weren’t spying on us. It was Danielle. She was the one who gave the numbers to Charlie Rodale,” Alex said quietly.

  Natalie’s lips parted. She hadn’t suspected her mousy assistant even knew Charlie.

  “Why?” she said before she could stop herself.

  Alex shrugged. “Apparently, she’s in love with him.”

  “What?” Charlie could be very charming when he wanted to be. Still, how could he have used Danielle like that? And for her to betray Natalie’s trust…

  Suddenly, all emotion drained from Natalie. Why should she care about them? She was going to leave all this behind soon.

  “I’m sorry,” Alex said.

  The simple apology surprised her, but it was too little too late. “Well.” She tugged until he let go of her wrist. “It doesn’t matter. Thanks for letting me know. If that’s all, I think you should go.”

  She walked to her condo, and he followed. She turned to him at the door.

  “I’m not going to invite you in.”

  He nodded silently but kept looking at her steadily with those beautiful, unreadable eyes. Was there more to his visit than an apology?

  She straightened her spine. She didn’t know what it was about him that made her do it, but she found herself saying, “I’m moving. Someplace far from here.”

  “You can’t go.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I can’t? Just watch me. I don’t have a job or a family. The people I thought were my friends here are only out to use me. The man I thought I was in love with”—she stiffened as he inhaled sharply—“doesn’t trust me.”

  Something was tearing inside her, but the pain drove her relentlessly to end it on her terms. She wouldn’t break down in front of him like last time and humiliate herself all over again. This time she would at least keep her dignity. “It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that I have nothing to hold me here.” She shrugged. “I want to start over. It’s as simple as that.” She turned her back to him and inserted the key into the lock.

  “Natalie, I’m in love with you.”

  That stole all the air out of her lungs. She gripped her key hard.

  “Don’t,” she whispered.

  Life kept chopping at her, and she was tired of standing on her own. She leaned slightly toward the door until her forehead rested against its cool wooden surface, but that wasn’t enough to stop her from trembling. Her heart hammered against her ribcage. “Just…don’t.”

  He embraced her from behind. Despite all her resolve, she melted against him.

  “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. Let me make it up to you. Please.”

  “I can’t start over with you,” she cried out and put a hand over her mouth. God, it hurt so much. If Alex hadn’t been holding her, she would’ve doubled over. “I can’t start over with you.” Tears pooled into the curves of her dark lenses.

  She wrenched herself out of his embrace, pushed the door open, and stumbled inside, trying to get away. From him or from the weakness that threatened to make her beg him to stay with her, she didn’t know. She almost tripped over a box half-full of her things. Her sunglasses fell off, the tears that were in them making small dark spots on the carpet.

  Alex followed her in and held her close, his arms going around her waist to steady her. She turned around and tried to push him away, but this time he was ready.

  “Natalie…Natalie,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry. If I could undo it all, I would. Let me make it up to you.”

  The kiss he gave her then was all she needed to release the pent-up emotions of the past ten days. She buried her face in his chest so he couldn’t see her tears and beat his shoulder with a tightly clenched fist. All the mixed-up feelings she’d had—the things she hadn’t been able to articulate, not even to herself—gushed out.

  Alex didn’t try to defend himself. He held her tighter and let her pound on him until she went limp.

  Then he carried her into the bedroom and worshipped her, showed her how much he loved her, and the hurt seemed to recede. His name was a sob on her lips as she climaxed, and she couldn’t stop the tears that flowed from her eyes.

  “Don’t cry,” he said, his voice ragged.

  “If you ever doubt me again…” She sniffled and wiped her face.

  “Never.”

  “All right.” She lay quiet for a moment, then tried to pull away as a thought occurred. Alex tensed, holding her to him. “It’s okay, I’ll be right back,” she said, running a fingertip over his cheek.

  He let her go, somewhat reluctantly, and she hopped off the bed and went to the living room. The matching jade set of dragon and fènhuáng sat on the floor. She took them in her hands, their solid weight reassuring, and returned to the bedroom.

  Alex sat up as she walked in. He looked at the figurines, then her. “I thought you’d packed everything.”

  “Not these.” She sat next to him and rested the cool ceramic on her bare thigh. “I was going to leave them behind.”

  His hand almost reached to touch the dragon then stopped. “That’s not good. Don’t they mean a lot to you?”

  “They do. But it seemed ridiculous to keep them. I’ve never had a really harmonious relationship with a man, and I figured it was time I stopped acting silly and went for something more attainable. Like a great job or money, like my friend always tells me.”

  “I”—his voice cracked—“Natalie, I’m sorry. I hurt you so much.”

  Pain had etched deep lines on his face, and the pale purple bags under his eyes made Alex look drained. She hadn’t noticed the signs of his suffering earlier because she’d been too busy dealing with her own.

  She brushed her thumb over the dragon’s ears and handed it to him. “Here.”

  “Natalie.”

  “It feels right. I want to give us another chance.”

  His throat worked. “So…do you forgive me?”

  She sighed. “I don’t seem to have a choice. I’m in love with you.”

  Something hot and fierce came back into his eyes, but his voice remained gentle. “Come here.”

  They made love, slowly, tenderly, drawing out their pleasure and climaxing together at the end. Afterward, Alex brushed her hair back from her face.

  “You okay?”

  “Of course.”

  “Then why the pensive look?”

  “Well…because you’re still going to want to ruin the Rodales, and I can’t decide how I feel about that. I know they tried to use me and all, but still… Emily had her reasons. So did Charlie.”

  Alex compressed his lips. “Natalie, I never told you why I want to—”

  “You don’t have to. Emily told me.” She briefly debated with herself, then told him everything, including how Charlie was his half-brother.

  When she was finished, Alex merely stared at her. “I don’t believe it!” He quickly amended that to, “I mean, how can I trust what she says?”

  “If you want, I suppose you can do a paternity test. That is, assuming Charlie wants to know as well.” Natalie sighed. “I don’t even know if the Rodales want to talk to me anymore, but it’s a little sad to think that my own godmother was more intent on having her revenge than anything else.”

  Alex was quiet. Finally he said, “You want me to give up the takeover, don’t you?”

  “Do you want to give it up?”

  His face remained unreadable, but finally he said, “If that’s what you want. If that’s what I need to do to make you happy, then yes. I’ll…act civilized toward them.”

  Something loosened inside her, and she laughed. “Oh, Alex. We’re going to be great.�
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  Epilogue

  NATALIE WANTED MORE TIME, but Alex wasn’t in the mood to wait. She managed to get three months to prepare for the wedding after a week of intense negotiation, but it still didn’t leave enough time to do everything.

  First, Alex and Emily talked. Natalie didn’t attend their meeting, but it seemed to have resulted in a grudging truce. At least they were civil toward each other. That was all she wanted for now. Charlie got to keep the company, although he hinted he might be open to the idea of a merger with DDE. Maybe he’d get to be a painter after all.

  Ethan tried several more times to resign, but Alex wouldn’t let him. Natalie understood that Ethan had been the one behind the NSA bid trap and who had pointed the finger at her, but she didn’t bear him much in the way of hard feelings. He’d been doing his job and trying to protect his friend. She might have done the same if the situation had been reversed. Besides, it made no sense to deprive Alex of his best friend and best man.

  Danielle vanished, seemingly into thin air. Natalie asked Charlie about it twice, but he refused to discuss the matter. Finally, she dropped it.

  As for the Halls, Brian announced that he would retire rather abruptly. The official reason given was so that he could spend time with his family. Belle decided to travel, although she promised to be back for the wedding. Louise said she would do her duty at the ceremony. After all, she was nothing if not responsible. Natalie couldn’t decide if she should try to shut her adoptive mother out of her life or not, but she supposed Louise really was doing her best. Probably she was hoping Brian would change his mind and run for president…and wanted Alex’s support.

  “Hey,” Alex said, embracing her as she walked into their penthouse in Arlington. She’d rented out her place and moved in with him as soon as possible after their reconciliation. “I miss my fiancée.”

  “I wish we could just elope.” Natalie fell onto the couch with him. “But I think Emily and Louise would kill me.”

  “Emily would kill me. She said if you’re unhappy in the slightest, she’d see to it that I regret it.” He got a slightly worried expression, but his eyes were twinkling. “Permanently.”