Page 98 of Surviving Slater

I studied her, trying to decipher any similarities to her older brother. They had the same color eyes and the same mouth. But was it enough to convince me?

Maybe a DNA test would be the only iron-clad way to confirm her true identity or at least a confirmation from her that she was the long-lost sister of Slater Graves.

I sat quietly as Connor began, opening the folder and asking her questions. She didn't seem to be suspicious about the things he asked. Maybe it wasn't something out of the ordinary for a job interview for a model.

As the interview progressed, I was still waiting for Connor to get at the true motive for the meeting, but he seemed to be taking much longer than I could stand. Maybe he was trying to make her feel more comfortable first before he broached the subject.

The longer the meeting dragged on, the more nervous I was getting.

"You have quite a portfolio," Connor said, looking through some of her photos. She was a strikingly beautiful woman even though she would only, by my calculations, be eighteen.

I knew some models started when they were very young so it could explain her confidence.

"Thank you," she said. She frowned slightly.

Connor didn't miss it. "Is there something wrong?" He leaned forward.

"It's just that CEOs don't usually interview models for advertising campaigns at their homes." She was far more perceptive than he had given her credit for.

Connor shared a look with me before he closed her folder.

"You are correct," he said. "I don't usually interview the models myself. Although I would like to consider you for a job in our advertising campaign, I do have an ulterior motive for this meeting."

Her frown deepened when she looked from him to me.

"According to your personal information, you are an orphan with no siblings. Is that correct?" he asked. I watched her closely.

"Yes. Why would I lie?" she answered. "I don't see what that has to do with anything."

"It does. I need to know if you have a brother named Slater."

She tensed. Her body language and reaction to his name spoke volumes. Any doubts I had harbored went out the window and I believed, despite what Slater had told me, that his sister was alive and well, sitting beside me.

"I have no family," she stated without any emotion.

Connor studied her. He knew as well as I did she was lying. But I couldn't think of why she would lie about something like that?

"Your brother believesyou're dead," he said. He was probably hoping to get a reaction out of her but this time her features were set in stone. There was nothing.

"I'm not the person you are looking for," she stated and rose. Alarmed she was going to leave, I looked at Connor, hoping he had a way to stop her.

"And I don't appreciate being deceived." She gave Connor such a cold look, I expected him to react, but he didn't.

"I'm sorry for the deception but it was necessary," he explained, but she picked up her portfolio and headed for the door.

Without another word she walked out of the study, slamming the door behind her. Connor stared at the door for a few moments before turning to face me.

"What are we going to do now?" I asked, feeling like we hadn't gained much from the short meeting.

I had hoped there had been some reason for her not to seek out her brother, but there didn't seem to be one.

This meeting hadn't gone the way I had hoped. How on earth could I tell Slater his sister was alive when she wouldn't acknowledge it? Telling him she wasn't dead didn't seem to be a good idea when she clearly didn't want anything to do with him.

"I have no family."But it was a lie. She had a brother who mourned her every day. It wasn't fair and I was angry she was being so selfish.

"We got exactly what we needed," he said.

"I don't understand," I asked, more confused because this meeting hadn't gone the way I had expected.