Chapter 9 - What Olivia Wanted
Grace stabilized.
Forty-eight hours later, she went home with Emma.
Home, for the moment, meant Eleanor’s townhouse.
Emma resisted.
Then accepted for one reason.
Security.
The press had discovered her hotel.
Eleanor’s home had private access, controlled entrances, and enough bedrooms that Emma could avoid Nathan if necessary.
Nathan remained in his penthouse.
He visited Grace every morning from nine until noon and every evening from six until eight.
Never earlier.
Never later.
Never without asking.
Emma noticed that too.
On Grace’s seventh day of life, Olivia contacted Rebecca.
Not Emma.
“I want immunity,” Olivia said.
Rebecca relayed the message over lunch.
Nathan frowned.
“Immunity from what?”
“That’s what she wants to trade.”
Emma adjusted Grace against her shoulder.
“What does she have?”
“According to Olivia, evidence Charles Manning continued the scheme after Richard’s death and used Malcolm Voss to falsify approvals.”
Nathan leaned forward.
“That’s consistent with what we know.”
“There’s more.”
Rebecca opened a folder.
“Olivia says Charles recruited her.”
Emma froze.
“When?”
“Two years ago.”
Nathan’s expression changed.
“What was she supposed to do?”
“Stay close to you.”
Silence.
Emma looked at Nathan.
He looked sick.
Rebecca continued.
“Charles believed the company was preparing to consolidate foundation accounting under a new compliance platform.”
“I ordered that,” Nathan said.
“Exactly. The new platform would have exposed legacy transactions.”
“So Olivia was supposed to delay it.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Rebecca looked at Emma.
“By influencing Nathan.”
Nathan closed his eyes.
Emma felt something unexpected.
Not satisfaction.
Not vindication.
Sadness.
Olivia had manipulated him.
But manipulation only worked because Nathan enjoyed the attention enough to stop asking why it was being offered.
“What did Charles promise her?” Emma asked.
“Money. Career advancement. Eventually control of foundation communications.”
“Did she steal?”
“Possibly.”
Nathan opened his eyes.
“What did she want from me personally?”
Rebecca hesitated.
“That’s not legally relevant.”
“It is to me.”
Emma said quietly:
“Tell him.”
Rebecca read from her notes.
“Olivia says she was initially instructed to build trust. She claims the emotional relationship developed beyond that.”
Nathan stared at the floor.
Emma looked at him.
“So some of it was real.”
He swallowed.
“Apparently.”
“How does that make you feel?”
Nathan gave a bitter laugh.
“Like an idiot.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
He looked at her.
“Hurt.”
Emma nodded.
Nathan seemed surprised.
“You’re not glad?”
“That someone used you?”
“No.”
He searched her face.
“I can be angry at what you did and still not want you harmed.”
Nathan looked away quickly.
That sentence meant more to him than she intended.
Rebecca closed the folder.
“Olivia wants a meeting.”
“With who?” Emma asked.
“You.”
Nathan immediately said:
“No.”
Emma turned.
Nathan caught himself.
“Sorry.”
He sat back.
“You decide.”
Emma almost smiled.
“I’ll meet her.”
Nathan looked worried.
“Why?”
“Because I want to hear what she says when she can’t perform for you.”
The meeting happened at Rebecca’s office.
Olivia arrived without makeup.
Without cameras.
Without the polished armor Emma had always associated with her.
She looked tired.
Older.
Human.
Emma hated that.
Villains were easier when they looked like villains.
Olivia sat opposite her.
“You had the baby.”
“Yes.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
Silence.
Olivia looked at Emma.
“I’m not asking you to forgive me.”
“Good.”
“I did terrible things.”
“Yes.”
“I also didn’t begin this because I wanted Nathan.”
Emma waited.
“Charles approached me after I discovered unusual foundation records.”
“You could have reported them.”
“I was thirty years old, drowning in student debt, and someone offered me two hundred thousand dollars to keep quiet.”
Emma’s expression didn’t change.
“So you took it.”
“Yes.”
“Then what?”
“He told me the legacy system would be replaced. I needed to keep Nathan from prioritizing the transition.”
“How?”
Olivia looked ashamed.
“Distraction.”
Emma laughed once.
“You’re calling yourself a distraction?”
“At first.”
“And later?”
Olivia’s eyes lowered.
“Later I fell in love with him.”
The words hurt less than Emma expected.
Maybe because they were no longer the central betrayal.
“Did Nathan tell you he would leave me?”
“No.”
“Did he kiss you?”
Olivia hesitated.
Emma’s stomach tightened.
“Did he?”
“No.”
“Did he ever try?”
“No.”
Emma breathed.
Olivia continued.
“But he talked to me in ways he stopped talking to you.”
Emma’s eyes hardened.
“I know.”
“He complained about feeling trapped between the company and everyone’s expectations.”
“I know.”
“He said sometimes home felt like another place he was failing.”
Emma looked away.
That one was new.
Olivia whispered:
“I made him feel admired.”
“And he made you feel chosen.”
“Yes.”
Silence.
Emma turned back.
“What does Charles have?”
Olivia reached into her bag.
Rebecca tensed.
Olivia removed a flash drive.
“Every message he sent me.”
Rebecca took it.
Emma studied Olivia.
“Why help now?”
Olivia’s expression broke.
“Because he told me to leak your pregnancy.”
Emma went still.
“He what?”
“He wanted you back in Manhattan.”
“Why?”
“To pressure Nathan.”
Olivia’s voice dropped.
“Charles believed Nathan would destroy records if the investigation got too close.”
Nathan.
Destroy records.
Emma almost laughed at how badly Charles had misunderstood the man Nathan was trying to become.
“Did you leak it?”
Olivia’s eyes filled.
“Yes.”
Emma’s jaw tightened.
“I’m sorry.”
“No.”
Emma stood.
“You don’t get to use that word like it erases the cost.”
“I know.”
“You put cameras around me when I was thirty-six weeks pregnant.”
“Yes.”
“You exposed my child.”
“Yes.”
Olivia looked down.
Emma stared at her.
Then asked:
“What did Charles tell you to do next?”
Olivia went pale.
“Get Nathan alone.”
“Why?”
“He wanted me to convince him the only way to save Whitmore Global was to blame the legacy fraud on you.”
Emma stopped breathing.
“On me?”
“Yes.”
“And if Nathan agreed?”
May you like
Olivia looked at her.
“Charles had documents ready to make it believable.”
