Page 110 of Perfume Girl

I frowned at Penelope’s belligerence. Raquel didn’t owe us anything. Yes, she was our employee, but this was inappropriate.

“I’m intrigued to hear what you think.” I reached for the folder and brought it over to her, trying to offset Penelope’s obnoxious demeanor with an air of professionalism.

“Have her smell it,” my sister snapped.

Raquel’s gaze widened with concern. “It’s here? The bottle is in this room?”

I flipped open the folder.

“Ms. Wren, please share your thoughts on the formula. Let’s see it finished.”

Raquel stepped back, refusing to look at the folder’s contents. “I’m going to go grab something from the lab,” she said, staring up at me.

“What do you need?”

Raquel backed toward the door. “I’ll just be a few minutes.”

“That’s fine.” I watched her leave in a hurry, feeling puzzled by her behavior.

When I spun around to look at my sister, she was wearing one of those satisfied smiles that told me she was close to getting something she wanted.

What the hell had just happened?

FINALLY,ICOULD EXHALE ASI steadied my nerves outside Astor’s office. I took a few seconds to put my game face on so I could face Taylor.

Now it all made sense.

What Penelope had witnessed her brother do at Bridgestone all those years ago had left her bitter and cruel because she couldn’t even trust her own sibling. The circumstances of their past had forged them both into who they were today—two ruthless professionals willing to do anything to get what they wanted. It had been hard to read Astor, he was always guarded and secretive, and yet I’d just witnessed their mutual offensive.

With my head held high, I strolled over to Taylor’s desk and forced a smile.

“Penelope wants me to grab a folder from her office.”

Taylor pushed to her feet. “I can get it.”

“No, that’s all right. You look busy.”

“I’m trying to finish a few things because we’re all leaving early. Are you off soon?”

“Yes, right after this.”

She pointed to a door on the east side of the building. “Penelope’s got that great harbor view.”

“I’ll be right back.” Knowing Astor and Penelope were nearby made my heart do a flip. The fact I was betraying Taylor’s trust made me feel nauseated. She’d been kind to me and yet this was a chance I had to take.

You can do this.

That familiar anger welled up inside of me. How had my life come to this? Me snooping around other people’s offices, me having to pretend I wanted to work here…

This was all Damien’s doing. If he’d just kept it in his pants and been loyal, loved me the way he’d once vowed to, none of this would be happening. Everything I was doing could potentially set me up for a lawsuit I had no money to fight.

Every time I felt like I had a handle on my life, a day like this swept in to fracture the ground beneath my feet. I had no choice but to keep moving.

Inside Penelope’s luxurious office, I barely noticed the art deco desk and the prints of glass bottles like the ones on Astor’s walls. Quickly, I searched through her filing cabinet, easing each drawer out slowly so it wouldn’t make a noise. Finding nothing, I went over to her desk, meaning to search the four drawers on either side.

I inhaled sharply when I saw an unmarked manila envelope hidden beneath a stack of magazines.

When I reached in and felt that familiar shaped ledger I stifled a sob, feeling vindicated, feeling all I had risked and all I had done had been worth it. I had been proven right.