"I can't get them to you Monday. Maybe Thursday. There's just too much work," I explained.
Audrey stood up and moved to stand in front of me. She put her hand on my chin, holding me in place.
"The buyers that I have lined up for this information are expecting it Tuesday morning at nine am. They are not forgiving people." A glimmer of fear crossed her face and I had to wonder just who she had gotten into bed with. They had to be terrifying and powerful if Audrey was afraid of them. "I will not go down because of your incompetence. Those files will be in my hand Monday evening by dinner or I will make you wish you had never been born. Do you understand?"
I thought of the missing baby grand piano and the Jaguar at her house. How she said she had bills to pay and was down an informant. It hit me that she didn't have money coming in. She'd sold the piano and the Jaguar to keep up appearances. I realized that she was desperate for this information. This was her big payday and I was screwing it up.
Which meant that there was no way she was going to let me out of it. There would be no leniency on her end if I didn't deliver. This was worth too much to her. Any hope of simply not delivering and dealing with the consequences left my mind. She would destroy me with everything she had left if I failed her because that would be all she had left to do.
"I understand," I whispered.
She smiled, showing her teeth but there was a predatory edge to it that made me nervous. She let go of my chin and patted my cheek.
"That's a good girl," she cooed. "I knew I could make you see reason."
"Give me what you need for Anastasia," I said, looking at my feet in the mirror. "I need to know what I'm working on."
"It'll be in your email," she replied. She took a deep breath and smiled like we'd had a wonderful conversation. "Well, I'm so glad we had this little chat. You will get those documents to me. I will be watching you. If you try to escape your duties and sneak off to the ball, there will be consequences."
I swallowed hard. "I understand."
"Good. Because I would hate for anything to happen to your future. Right now, it still has a very good chance of being bright as long as you do as I say." She smiled. "I will be watching you. I will know if you are working on the files. I've also told the senator to call me if there's any trouble with Anastasia's work, so I will know about that as well. You cannot hide from me, Aria."
I wondered who she had passing her information. I knew she had ties to Jaqui's boss. That was probably where she found out how far along in my work I was.
"I understand."
"And that dress is..." Audrey paused as if searching for the right word. "Something."
I hated the way my heart sunk at her snide remark. I swallowed down the resentment and told myself that Audrey was just trying to get under my skin. The dress was fine. I wasn't going to let her into my head.
"Goodbye, Audrey." I consciously forced my hands to relax and found that I'd put wrinkles into the dress from gripping it so hard.
"See you Monday, dear." Audrey smiled and sashayed out the door. She waved to the saleswoman who waved back. I guessed that's how she knew about the dress and the ball. I'd told the saleswoman and they obviously knew one another.
I should have gone to a dress store in a different state.
I stood in front of the mirror and stared at the dress. I still wanted to go to the ball. How in the world was I going to tell Henry that I had to work all weekend? I could already imagine the hurt in his eyes and the way he would say it was okay, even though it wasn't.
"Are you still interested in the dress?" the saleswoman asked, coming up behind me. I startled slightly. "Your stepmother didn't say if you wanted to purchase it."
"Um..." I frowned, trying to think. A spark of resistance flared in my chest. If there was a way to go to the ball, I was going to find it. There was a possibility I could get the work done in time and she would never know.
"Miss?"
"Yes. I'll take the dress," I said, deciding that I wasn't going to let my stepmother win. I was going to make it to the ball or die trying.
Chapter 20
I paid for the dress and then went to my apartment and looked at the research for Anastasia. It was more work than my stepmother had let on. The research I'd done for her last week was just the beginning. I was basically doing my senator's aide job without the benefits of going to the office or getting paid.
Before I started that, I looked online for a lawyer. I made an online appointment from my burner phone with a fake name. The earliest I could get was Monday afternoon. It felt like too little too late, but I needed to know what I could do to protect myself, even if it felt like there was nothing.
I worked until I couldn't see straight, set an alarm, then got up at the crack of dawn and went to the office. I put enough coffee in my system to get a bus full of people going.
I had to do this so that I could go to the ball with Henry. That was my motivation. It wasn't the pretty dress or the idea of dancing all night. It was that I would get to be with Henry. This mattered to him, so I was going to do everything within my power to make it happen.
I beat the entire staff to the office. Gus wasn't even on duty yet, so I had to check in with the nighttime security staff. It felt strange to be in the building without the usual hum of phone calls and chatter.
I went to my office to find it just as I had left it. I turned on the computer and scanner and got to work. I didn't take any pictures, even though I knew my stepmother would want me to. I still didn't know what to do about that.
She would know if I wasn't working on the scans, though. Someone was watching me and counting my boxes. I had to do the work in order to have any time to think of a plan. If she found out I wasn't working at a breakneck pace, she would release what she had on me right now. Then there would really be no ball.
I mulled over what to do next. If I didn't take the pictures, Audrey was going to go full scorched earth on me. My father's legacy would be ruined, but so would mine. If she released that photo to the right people, it wasn't a stretch to say I could end up being prosecuted. My political career would be over before it ever began, along with any other career I might want.
Yet, if I did take the pictures of the files, she might still turn on me. She had blackmail on me and if I'd learned anything about her business, it was that blackmail never went away. You just paid to keep it quiet a little longer. If I did what she asked, she would stay quiet until the next time it suited her, only she'd have dozens of files I'd given her instead of just the one. She would have me stealing information for her for the rest of my life.
I thought about going to Jaqui and confessing everything, but my stepmother would just release the photo I'd taken. Jaqui wouldn't be able to protect me. No one short of the Paradisian trade delegation could.
I was in a heck of a pickle.
So, I tried to think as I scanned and did research on the side. I'd managed to get most of our conversation at the dress shop on my phone, but there was nothing that a good lawyer couldn't get thrown out. I needed more. I just didn't know how to get it, and then, who to go to once I had it.
I had to hope my meeting with the lawyer on Monday would be able to help me. It didn't feel like it would be enough, but it was all I had going at the moment.
Suddenly Jaqui poked her head in. "I see you got the memo that you have to go back to your original job. I can't believe they want it done as soon as possible. It's not even that important a thing," She had dark circles under her eyes and a beaten expression.
"Are you okay?" I asked, standing up from my desk. She looked like she'd been crying.
Jaqui shrugged. "I got a verbal dress-down for the record books. I'm officially under review for misappropriating personnel. I don't even know if that's a thing, but my boss is furious."
"I'm so sorry, Jaqui." I sat down hard and put my head in my hands. "I never meant for this to happen."
"Hey, I don't blame you." Jaqui came and put both her hands on the desk in front of me. "You didn't do this."
But I felt like I did. It was all my fault. I just kept staring at my desk.
"Did you get the dress?" she asked, trying to change the subject to something happier for both of us. "It looked great. At least that's something we can both look forward to. I'm going to live vicariously through you. I can't wait to hear all about it. And all about Henry. I bet he looks good in a suit. The two of you will be the talk of the party."
I nodded, but kept my glum expression. "I pick it up tomorrow."
"So why the long face?" Jaqui asked.
I sighed. "How am I going to get this done in time?" I motioned to the boxes all around me. "ASAP means I don't get to stop my work and go to the ball."