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“I’ll talk to Ariana before I get Colette involved.”
Broaching a topic like this was sure to be uncomfortable and unpleasant, but she had no choice. There was a high probability Colette would fire Ariana out of hand if she knew about her addiction, and if that happened, Colette would be forced to return to her role of CEO less than a month after having Polara. Considering Colette’s difficult delivery and high stress levels, she wanted to keep her eldest sister in baby bliss for as long as possible. But if confronting Ariana about her addiction wasn’t enough to compel her to get clean, she’d have no choice but to tell Colette.
“What about Rami?” Roth asked.
Before she’d read his file, Jasmine wouldn’t have hesitated to confide in her brother-in-law. Rami had always been kind and a voice of reason, but with what she now knew, she found herself second-guessing the wisdom of involving him in Ariana’s intervention. She realized she was mimicking Colette by cutting out the husbands and trying to sort out their problems within the sisterhood, but after reading about Rami’s past, she couldn’t help but feel leery of him. Could there be a reason other than shame that had kept Ariana from confiding in her husband?
Jasmine wouldn’t hesitate to confront Ariana about her secret, but Rami’s association with a violent underworld—one he potentially owed a favor to because they’d carried out crimes on his behalf—was another matter entirely. She had no intention of touching Rami’s past with a ten-foot pole.
“Is it possible Rami paid off the organization and there isn’t a pending debt?” she asked.
“If that group is as smart as I think they are, they knew a favor at a later date when Rami had more power and influence was far more valuable than money.”
Her hands twisted together. “Do you think Ariana knows?”
“No.”
She looked up. “How can you be certain?”
“If Rami had told her, she would have gone to him about her addiction without fear of judgment.”
She had to concede he was probably correct about that. “What about Kye and Bailey?”
“Rami’s not a stupid man. He knew who he was dealing with—the risks and consequences that came with it. Hopefully, he’s prepared for every contingency.”
“And if he isn’t?”
He gave her nape a gentle squeeze. “I’m keeping an eye out.”
An hour ago, that would have sounded ominous. Now, all she felt was overwhelming relief. It was disturbing how quickly her perspective could change. She’d thought she was protecting her family from Roth. Now, the tables had turned.
She stared at the mountain of paperwork. “How many people are you investigating?”
“Enough.”
“Do you investigate everyone you do business with?”
He nodded.
“Your employees? Johan, Mo, Sarai?”
“Yes.”
“Do they know?”
“Johan and Mo, yes. I’ve never discussed it with Sarai, but I’m sure she’d understand.”
“Grayson?”
“Yes.”
“It must cost a fortune to survey all these people.”
“Knowing ahead of time what I’m getting into saves me more in the long run.”
She turned sideways on her chair to face him. “You must have hired a team to spy on my father. Did you uncover something you were able to use to your advantage when he blackmailed you?”
His double blink was gratifying. So was the warm approval in his eyes and the faint, wry smile.
