Chapter 3 - The Woman Who Knew
By sunrise, Nathan was at his mother's townhouse.
Eleanor opened the door in a silk robe and did not invite him in.
"Where is Emma?"
"Safe."
"She's pregnant."
Eleanor's face did not change.
That was his answer.
"You knew."
"She told me after she left."
Nathan's voice cracked. "That's my child."
"And Emma is a human being, not a package carrying your heir."
"Don't do this, Mom."
"Do what? Refuse to help you bulldoze a woman who finally said no?"
Nathan pushed a hand through his hair. "I need to see her."
"She doesn't want to see you."
"I never slept with Olivia."
Eleanor laughed once. It had no humor in it.
"You still think that's the magic sentence?"
Nathan flinched.
"Did you tell Olivia things you stopped telling Emma?"
Silence.
"Did you stay out drinking with Olivia after telling your wife you were too tired for dinner?"
Silence.
"Did you let another woman believe she had a private place in your life that your wife no longer had?"
Nathan looked away.
Eleanor stepped closer.
"Then stop arguing technicalities."
He swallowed. "What am I supposed to do?"
"For once? Nothing she didn't ask you to do."
"I can't just sit here."
"You can become someone who doesn't need access to her in order to behave correctly."
Nathan stared at the floor.
His phone vibrated.
Olivia again.
Board call moved to nine. I can handle the press if you want.
Eleanor saw the name.
"Does she always text you before breakfast?"
Nathan locked the screen.
His mother held out her hand. "Give me your phone."
"Why?"
"Because I'm about to ask you a question you won't like."
Nathan hesitated, then handed it over.
Eleanor opened the message thread with Olivia and scrolled.
Her expression hardened.
Wish you were here.
You owe me another drink after Chicago.
She still doesn't suspect anything.
Eleanor stopped.
"What was that about?"
Nathan frowned. "A foundation acquisition. Emma didn't know we were buying the building yet."
"Did Emma know that?"
He went still.
Of course she hadn't.
Eleanor gave the phone back.
"You built a private language with another woman and expected your wife to assume innocence."
Then Nathan noticed something at the top of the thread.
A message from Olivia sent months earlier.
When you finally leave her, don't say I didn't warn you how hard she'd make it.
Nathan had never answered it.
May you like
But he had never shut it down either.
And now he could not remember whether Emma had ever seen it.
