“And which side had you taken on this? What did you believe?”
“I bet on your humanity. Of course.”
“As I said once before, that’s not a safe bet—then or now, Madeleine.”
“No. But I have seen it, no matter how hard you hide it.”
“We’ll have to iron out your belief in my human side if you expect to come back.” Elena shot her an amused look.
“But…”
“Yes, yes, you must be ‘wooed properly’ first.” Elena gave her a smirk. “Fine. I suppose it’s the price I have to pay for luring back a not entirely useless assistant.” She hid her mirth by leaning forward and pushing the button to lower the glass divider. “Home, driver.”
“Not entirely useless, huh? High praise.” Madeleine laughed.
Elena enjoyed the sound of it. She wished the woman had laughed more since they’d left New York. She’d missed those engaging green eyes teasing her.
“I would also notice your absence if you weren’t by my side tomorrow,” Elena said more seriously. “You are the least error-prone office employee I’ve ever had. And that includes Felicity. Some days, it’s like you can read my mind.”
Madeleine beamed.
“But don’t let it go to your head.”
Madeleine beamed even more.
“Oh God.” Elena paused and eyed her former assistant with a small frown. “By the way, where were you tonight? Drowning your sorrows in some seedy dive?”
“Ha-ha. Is that how you see me? No—I was at Natalii’s hotel.”
Elena froze, as her thoughts went to dark places—Natalii comforting Madeleine, who had clearly been upset at being fired. The irritating woman, with that seductive French accent and trashy habit of latching her lips on to Madeleine’s for the paparazzi, doing it again—possibly taking full advantage of her weakened state. Preying on her. Elena’s eyes narrowed. A blacklisting was the least of what she could do to that predatory woman. It didn’t matter who her mother was.
“Oh, it’s not like that.”
Elena paused in her vengeance plotting. “What is it like?”
“I was saving her relationship with her girlfriend. Adèle also saw the paparazzi photos.”
“And how could you do that? Save this relationship?”
Madeleine reddened.
Elena frowned, wondering what she wasn’t anxious to say. “I believe the bet still applies.”
“I told her there was nothing going on between us.”
“And she believed you? Just like that?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“My earnest face?”
“I see. Now you evade the truth when it suits.”
“I don’t have any romantic interest in Natalii. And that’s all I’m going to say.”
“Why so late home, then?”
Madeleine’s face brightened. “Well, I got caught up in a great story. I’d tell you all about it, but I’m not sure I want to give it to you. I mean the interview took place when I was no longer a Bartell Corp employee. So, really, I could take it anywhere. Make a bundle, too. Especially with the global distribution rights.”
Elena went very, very still. Could she mean…? But how? No. It was impossible. But then again, Madeleine had been talking to her daughter today, so…it was possible.
“Madeleine, are you saying what I think you are? That you have an interview with…” She stared at her, raking her face for evidence of a lie. “You have…”
Madeleine reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She scrolled to a photo of Natalii Duchamp, sitting on the floor, legs straight out in front of her; black, chunky boots sticking up under a glorious, white tulle and taffeta dress. Her famous mother was leaning forward, adjusting the back of it, her half-moon spectacles perched on her nose and a row of pins sticking comically out of her mouth.
“Interview? Yes. Four hours’ worth. And photos. Of the new line. Which I have approval to run in the magazine of my choice.” Madeleine spun the phone all the way around to face Elena. She shot her a cheeky grin. “So, you’d better up your game on that professional wooing. Make it good.”
Elena’s hands had the faintest tremble, as she cradled the phone and stared at the photo. “Are there more?” Her voice was almost a croak.
Madeleine chuckled and swiped to the next one.
Here, Véronique was standing back, admiring another dress on her daughter, while Natalii looked right at the camera, all swagger and charm. It was intimate, yet breathtaking. There was vulnerability there, too. It was unexpected from one normally so guarded.
Elena allowed a faint gasp. “They definitely said you could use these?” She swiped to the next photo, and her eyes widened at what she saw.
“Yep,” Madeleine said. “They loved them. They asked for prints after the story runs. Oh, that one there, that’s Véronique’s favourite.”
