Griffin shrugged, but Sydney could tell he was about to launch another volley, so she leaned forward and interrupted the familial sparring. “Mrs. Cain, let’s get back to those questions I wanted to ask you.”
“Yes, of course. But I will say I was surprised that you’re working for Griffin now.”
Sydney wondered just how much Caro had deduced of her relationship with Griffin.
“Of course I am,” she said quickly. “The CEO needs an assistant. And when Dalton left—”
“Yes, of course.” Caro smiled benevolently at Griffin. “I’m sure this won’t shock you, but I can’t say that I’m sorry Dalton has stopped looking for the girl.” Caro leaned close and dropped her voice. “If only one of you can inherit everything, then I’d much prefer it be you.”
Sydney watched the revulsion flicker across Griffin’s face as his mother patted his hand conspiratorially, but Caro didn’t seem to notice it.
However, she did turn her assessing gaze to Sydney. “What I meant earlier was that I was surprised you’re still involved. If Dalton has indeed left the company, then why are you still around?”
Caro’s questions made one thing clear: she was on to them. She may not know for sure that they were sleeping together, but their long discussion out on the balcony—or perhaps her earlier fumble—had tipped their hand. Caro knew something was up.
Before Sydney could answer, Griffin peeled his mother’s hand off his arm and said, “Sydney is working for me now. I needed someone to help me transition to interim CEO.”
“And you didn’t want to bring your own assistant with you?” Caro asked.
“No.” With each question, Griffin’s tone cooled. “I needed someone who was familiar with every project on Dalton’s plate.”
Caro’s lips turned down in disapproval. “And besides, you’ve never really trusted Marion, have you? After all, she worked under your father too long for that, didn’t she?” Instead of waiting for him to answer, Caro turned her cool gaze on Sydney. “You, however, haven’t worked at Cain Enterprises long enough to have any alliance.”
Sydney blinked in surprise at the icy chill in Caro’s voice. “I don’t… I’m not sure what you mean.”
Griffin replied instead of Caro. “She’s implying that you’re not qualified for the position.”
Caro’s lips twisted in an unpleasant smile. “Nonsense. I’m sure that the only qualification that Dalton cared about was that she had never once worked for his father. Naturally that one quality prepared you for a position of tremendous power within the company. Unless there are other qualifications I’m unaware of.”
“Enough, Mother,” Griffin said sharply. “That’s a line you don’t want to cross.”
Caro looked from Griffin to Sydney and back again with her eyebrows raised in feigned innocence. “Oh, I’m sorry.” She patted the back of Sydney’s hand. “Have I offended you, dear?”
Sydney forced a smile past the bitter taste in her mouth. “Not at all.”
But she was starting to see what Griffin had meant about his mother.
“Excellent. I knew you were made of sterner stuff. Now, tell me what you need to know that you haven’t been able to find out from the files I sent over.”
Well, that was tricky because she’d learned precisely nothing from the files at all. In fact, after Caro’s comments about Dalton, Sydney was beginning to wonder whether Caro hadn’t been deliberately unhelpful before now. After all, she’d just admitted that she wanted Griffin to find the heiress instead of Dalton. Dalton had been the one who had originally requested the household documents be sent over. Perhaps Caro had simply sent over forty-two boxes of useless papers just to waste Dalton’s time.
Of course, demanding answers about that would gain her nothing, so instead Sydney said, “I don’t know if Dalton explained why he wanted the household records from that time period, but—”
“He did,” Caro interrupted with a sweeping gesture. The wine in her glass sloshed precariously. “Something about a nanny.”
“Yes.” Sydney paused, wondering if Griffin was going to take over, but he remained silent. “Dalton and Laney had a theory about one of Dalton’s nannies. Apparently, she worked for you when you were pregnant with Griffin. Her name was Vivian. She was pregnant when she worked with you. And they know for sure the child was a girl.”
Caro took another sip of wine and Sydney couldn’t tell if she was stalling for time or if she was merely disinterested.