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The managing director glares at me.

“Hi,” I say, my cheeks burning.

Oh God, why am I so nervous?

But Fabien’s already taking care of any hiccups.

“Have a look at these folders and see what’s inside,” he says, waving at the table. “I’m sure it’ll pique your curiosity.”

“What are these?” the managing director asks, her professional hardness returned.

“Something that will make you reconsider a few things,” I reply.

Being next to Fabien... his steadiness... I’m back to being Jolie the strong businesswoman.

I thought I lost her in these last few days.

“If you have any questions, ask Jolie here,” Fabien adds. “She knows these numbers inside and out.”

He’s done what he promised.

I smile at the group, my eyes landing on the managing director.

“I’m more than happy to help,” I say, my head held high.

I look at Fabien. He winks at me.

Holy shit, this is working. They are listening.

Now I just need to work my ass off.

40

FABIEN

My plan works. Of course it does. I told her it would.

But seeing Jolie win, watching her turn those clients back to her after Steven’s betrayal, is a million times better than being right.

I look at the woman I fell in love with – her beaming smile, the intelligence behind her eyes, the sass, the way the sunlight streaming through the windows of the art gallery makes her glow without her even knowing – and I come to the realization that I was a fucking fool not to question things when I got that email all those years ago. I wish I’d questioned whether the words written in that message were even hers. Why didn’t I see the truth? Why didn’t I see that she might’ve been manipulated?

Why did I waste so many fucking years?

I remember that woman. She saw the world in numbers. She was brave. This week, Steven has shaken those qualities. But now, here in my gallery, Jolie’s moving around the group, answering questions. They’re leaning in to her. She’s doing an impeccable job of captivating the crowd. The managing director of Worcester Asset Management shakes her hand. They talk. I watch with a smile as they shake hands again.

These people rejected her the other day on false pretenses, and now she’s winning them back. She was nervous earlier; I could tell, so I had to coax her out of her shell.

But here she is.

Here is the Jolie I remember. Here is the woman she became.

41

JOLIE

The last of the Worcester Asset Management executives walk out, and I can finally let out a long and well-fucking-deserved sigh of relief. I stand at the entrance of the art gallery and watch the city rush by as I slowly decompress from all the nervous tension I’ve been holding in all morning.

I did it. We did it.