Chapter 8
Daniel had turned that wound into ambition.
At first, Rachel had admired it.
Then ambition became hunger.
Then hunger became identity.
And eventually Daniel needed everyone around him to confirm he had won.
Rachel had stopped being useful for that.
She loved him when he failed.
What he wanted now was someone impressed when he succeeded.
“I’m sorry you spent so much of your life needing people to tell you that you mattered,” Rachel said.
His eyes met hers.
“But I was your wife, Daniel. I couldn’t keep being the medicine for a wound you refused to heal.”
He swallowed.
“Can we go somewhere and talk?”
“We’re talking.”
“Not here.”
“I have a board meeting.”
His expression changed.
For an instant, she saw his old irritation.
The irritation of a man unaccustomed to Rachel having something more important than him.
Then he caught himself.
“Right.”
Rachel noticed.
So did Daniel.
Shame crossed his face.
“God.”
He sat down on a bench.
“What have I become?”
Rachel didn’t answer.
After a moment Daniel looked up.
“There’s something you need to know about Holloway Pierce.”
Rachel’s posture changed.
“What?”
Daniel lowered his voice.
“Vanessa’s father knew Evelyn was sick.”
Rachel remained still.
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
“When?”
“About nine months ago.”
That placed the information three months before Daniel’s affair began.
Rachel felt a chill.
Daniel continued.
“Pierce started restructuring our Northstar strategy. He said Evelyn’s succession plan was weak. He said whoever inherited would probably be overwhelmed and willing to sell.”
“Did he know it was me?”
“No.”
Daniel answered quickly.
Then hesitated.
“I don’t think so.”
Rachel caught it.
“You don’t think so?”
“Vanessa asked strange questions about you.”
“What questions?”
“Your family. Whether you were close to Evelyn. Whether Evelyn ever talked to you about Northstar.”
Rachel felt her pulse accelerate.
“And what did you tell her?”
“That you barely talked about your aunt.”
“Anything else?”
Daniel looked ashamed.
“I told her you weren’t interested in business.”
Rachel almost smiled at the absurdity.
“I’ve spent eleven years in biomedical engineering.”
“I meant finance.”
“You told the daughter of a firm trying to acquire my aunt’s company that I wasn’t interested in business.”
“I didn’t know.”
“No. You didn’t.”
Daniel stood.
“Rachel, listen to me. Pierce has board support. More than you know. If you reject the acquisition, they’re going to attack your competence.”
“They already are.”
“Then you need help.”
She looked at him.
“I can help you.”
And there it was.
The sentence Daniel might have offered differently yesterday.
Before the inheritance.
May you like
Before the headlines.
Before he knew the quiet wife he’d discarded controlled something men like him spent their careers trying to possess.
