Chapter 5 - No Private Investigators
Nathan's head of security looked offended.
"You want me to do nothing?"
"I want you to confirm nobody from this company is looking for my wife."
"We can locate her in an hour."
"That's exactly what I don't want."
Nathan sat at the end of the conference table, exhausted and unshaven.
"Check expense accounts. Travel requests. Outside investigators. Anything connected to Emma. If someone is searching for her, I want to know."
His chief of staff, Aaron Mills, shifted uncomfortably.
Nathan noticed.
"What?"
Aaron rubbed his jaw. "Olivia asked communications to monitor social chatter around Mrs. Whitmore."
"When?"
"Yesterday. She said it was reputation management."
Nathan stood. "Get her in here."
"You asked people to track Emma online?"
"I asked my team to protect the foundation. Your wife walked out of a gala full of reporters."
"My wife is not a reputational threat."
"Stop."
She blinked.
"You are done with anything involving Emma."
Olivia's face changed. "Excuse me?"
"No monitoring. No calls. No messages. No one from communications contacts her."
"You're punishing me because she overreacted."
Nathan stared at her.
"Did you text her?"
Olivia's silence lasted half a second too long.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing that matters."
"Show me."
"My personal phone is not company property."
Nathan's voice dropped. "Did you send my pregnant wife a message after she left me?"
Olivia folded her arms. "I told her disappearing wouldn't change what you wanted."
"And what do I want?"
She looked straight at him.
"A life that doesn't revolve around Emma's moods."
The room went silent.
Nathan finally understood how much permission his silence had given her.
"You're terminated from the foundation, effective immediately."
Olivia went pale.
"You can't be serious."
"Security will collect your access badge."
Her eyes filled with rage. "After everything I've done for you?"
"You worked for me. You were not entitled to me."
She stepped closer. "You told me you were miserable."
"I told you things I should have told my wife. That's on me."
Olivia grabbed her bag.
At the door, she turned.
"You think firing me makes you loyal?"
Nathan said nothing.
She smiled without warmth.
"Ask Emma why she really left New York."
Then she walked out.
Nathan stared after her.
May you like
Because Emma had left after the gala.
Hadn't she?
