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She seized the opportunity to redirect the conversation to Kira’s personal life and was stunned to hear her friend had four daughters and wasn’t going to stop until she got her boy. Kira and Penelope updated her on friends she had lost touch with and listed those who had tentative plans to meet in New York for Fashion Week. She reminded them that she wasn’t going to walk in Daiyu’s show, which cheered Kira and sent Penelope into a ten-minute lecture about how they needed to support each other.
When the call ended, she shook her head, exasperated and amused. Some things never changed. After so much time apart, she thought it would be awkward speaking to her childhood friends, but they picked up as if the decade in between never happened. Although she wasn’t happy that the reception seemed to be their sole focus, she was excited to see them in February. She wasn’t walking in any show and had ignored the voicemails that Daiyu started to leave with annoying regularity.
She nibbled the ham, cheese, and bread that had been delivered for breakfast and took in the view from her balcony. It was a beautiful day without a cloud in sight. She basked in the sun’s rays and idly wondered if she packed any short-sleeved blouses. Her laptop was open, ready for her to get to work, but she couldn’t bring herself to look at the screen.
She had woken up, feeling more rested than she had in a week. Roth’s weight did the trick. She slept like a baby. She wasn’t sure why he did it and wasn’t going to waste time trying to interpret his actions. He was an enigma and constantly changing the script on her. She didn’t know what was genuine or not, and she was tired of trying to make sense of it.
Her notebook lay beside her empty coffee cup, inviting her to sort out her thoughts, make more resolutions, and list possible locations where her father may have hid a second letter, but she didn’t pick up the pen. What good would it do to comb through the same information over and over in the hopes that she would see something new? If there was a second letter, she suspected it was at Tuxedo Park, but she was also certain she would have run across it since his death, which left her with no leads.
As for figuring out her sisters’ motives, only time would tell. The only way they could prove their loyalty was if they were put in a position where they had to choose between the company or her. If her arrangement with Roth held, that predicament would never come to pass, but life was a fickle thing. She had a feeling her sisters’ true intentions would reveal itself sooner rather than later. Until then, she would have to keep her guard up. As Roth pointed out, she couldn’t trust her judgment where family was concerned.
Same with him.
She pondered their last words and his allusion that her sisters weren’t the only family she had. This was the second time he had made such a claim. This was the same man who freely admitted that he used her and taunted her with the fact that she had been such easy prey. After pointing out that she had poor judgment, he had the audacity to suggest she trust him. How stupid did he think she was? She made the mistake of believing the man she married the first time was a real person when Roth had been playing a role as the dream man from her Minnie Hess novels. The man she remarried was a completely different beast, complete with a troubled past and sins and secrets she would never know.
She was tired of looking for deeper meaning where he was concerned. She was going to take her own advice and lock up her emotions, accept the good that came with their arrangement, and turn a blind eye to everything else. She would take the mind-blowing sex, catching up with old acquaintances, and travel. But she wouldn’t expect anything from him. That would only lead to disappointment. She would endure. Every day, she was one step closer to fulfilling their agreement. That was all that mattered.
She rose and leaned on the iron railing and watched the people mosey along below. It was early enough that the sidewalks were mostly empty. Normally, Roth did business in congested metropolis’, but here, all was quiet. Johan made Copenhagen come alive for her. If only she had a local guide to show her the ropes…
She straightened and eyed her phone. There was a high probability that she knew someone in Lisbon. She had acquaintances all over the world, but had let them go when she left society. But, as Penelope demonstrated, those ties were still there, just waiting for her to reach out. She logged into her personal social media account, ignoring the friend requests and ridiculous number of messages, and did a search of everyone’s location.
“Ahh!”
Her excited shout startled a flock of pigeons. Johnny was the youngest son of Rey Salazar, a real estate magnate in the Philippines. Rumor had it that he had been cast out of the family fold when he came out of the closet. She hadn’t talked to him in, what? Twelve years? He was closer to Ariana’s age, but she had fond memories of him trying to lighten up stale business functions. A week ago, it wouldn’t have occurred to her to reach out, but her chat with Penelope and Kira gave her a boost of optimism. She messaged him that she was in town and would like to get together if he was available, before she texted Mo and Johan that she wanted to go sightseeing.
She ran her hand through her hair and hissed when it caught on her wedding ring. She eyed the massive diamond for a moment before she slipped it off her finger. The ring attracted too much attention. She headed to the closet where every hotel put their safe and paused when she saw the safe was already in use. She frowned. Six numbers. She put in Roth’s birthday and five other combinations, but nothing worked. She had no idea what date or numbers were significant enough for him to use. What the hell was in there anyway? Contracts? Guns? Knives? Before her mind could run rampant, she strode through the bedroom and then the sitting room, looking for a good hiding spot. She wanted to avoid putting the ring in a place where a maid could accidentally stumble upon it while cleaning. Just the thought of it being sucked up in a vacuum or tossed in a washer with towels and bedsheets made her blood run cold. She may not care for the expensive prop, but even she wouldn’t be careless with it out of spite.
There were quite a few interesting statues, pots, and sculptures throughout the suite. She paused beside a cobalt sculpture and peered through the glass at the thick base. She placed the ring at the bottom and made sure to turn the diamond away from the light, so it wouldn’t catch anyone’s attention. For some reason, getting rid of the ring made her feel ten pounds lighter. She left the room in jeans, boots, and a thin long sleeve with a jacket wrapped around her waist. Mo and Johan were waiting outside her door.
“Destination?” Mo asked.
“I don’t have one,” she said cheerfully as she led the way to the elevator.
She didn’t have to look back to know they were giving each other sidelong glances.
“Car?” Johan asked.
“No, let’s go on foot. Have either of you been here before?”
“Many times, but we didn't do touristy things,” Mo said.
“What did you do?”
“Surveillance and eat.”
That sounded about right.
At this hour, the streets were relatively empty, giving her the opportunity to take photos. When she detoured off the main streets, she felt as if she had stepped back in time.
They were hiking downhill when her phone emitted an odd ring from her back pocket. Johnny was calling her through the social media app, since he didn’t have her number. Did he hit the call button accidentally? She shrugged and accepted the call. Instantly, she was rewarded with the sight of a man with slick black hair and Ray Ban’s.
“Johnny!”
“Jasmine Hennessy.”
The sound of a male voice made Mo and Johan swing around as if they heard gunfire. She ignored them and beamed at Johnny, who pulled down his sunglasses to examine her.
“All grown up. I can’t believe it. What are you doing in Lisbon?”
