Gus gave me one more hug, the look on his face saying that he didn't quite believe I was as fine as I said I was. I did my best to put on a more confident smile. I didn't want him worrying about me.
I headed upstairs and went to my office, probably for the last time.
Although, I thought that about seven years ago too.
I'd gotten through about half of the remaining boxes when Jaqui stopped by.
"Hey." She smiled as she came in. "Looks like you're almost done."
I nodded. "Did you hear about my exciting weekend?"
"Nope. That's why I stopped by. I want to hear how Henry liked your purple dress." She grinned.
Oh boy.
"Well, I didn't get to wear the purple dress," I replied. "Instead, Senator Glenn supplied me with a really pretty blue one. Oh, and Henry is actually Prince Henry of Paradisa. That's probably why he looked familiar to you."
Jaqui stared at me like I'd suddenly grown three heads and a green tail. "What?"
"I wore a blue dress and Henry is actually a prince."
She sat down on a box of files. "I leave you alone for one weekend and you suddenly wear a senator's dress and start dating a prince?"
I shrugged, not quite sure what to say to that. Instead I gave her a better telling of my night at the ball and why Henry had called her the day before. She stared at me in disbelief the entire time.
"Now you really have to get me his friend's number," Jaqui smiled. "I knew he was a keeper, I just didn't know how much of one."
I let out a small sigh of relief that she wasn't mad. So much had gone on this weekend, I hadn't had a chance to call or text her.
"After you finish, we're going out and getting drinks and you're telling me all the details." Jaqui stood up from her box and shook her head. "A prince? That is so cool."
Henry sent me text messages every few hours to give me encouragement. I didn't need it much at first, but as the day grew later, I became more and more nervous about meeting with my stepmother in the evening.
I quickly worked through the last of the boxes and then cleaned up my work space. It felt almost bittersweet. My life was going to change again. I wasn't sure how, but I hoped it was for the better. If everything went to plan, then maybe I could have a future with Henry.
Even though I didn't know what that would look like right now, I wanted it. I wanted to try. And it wasn't because he was a prince. It was because I loved him. I would have wanted to try if he was just the simple businessman I had thought he was.
I loved him.
The end of the workday came and I said goodbye to my co-workers. Now that the scanning job was done, I didn't have anything to do. It was possible that I would be reassigned to another task in the building, but I knew that Senator Glenn would want me back eventually.
For all intents and purposes, it was my last day.
Especially if things went the way Henry and I planned for Audrey. Or if they went the exact opposite. I wouldn't be in this building anymore either way.
I hugged Gus and Jaqui extra long before heading out. Neither one of them knew just what I was about to do. They would have told me not to do it. They would have tried to help me.
I couldn't risk them, so I simply smiled and promised to visit.
I just hoped I didn't end up in jail instead.
I had to pretend that everything was normal as I got on the train and then the bus to Audrey's house. I tried not to check my phone every two seconds or fiddle with the button on my jacket, but it was hard.
I was walking into the lair of the dragon. I only hoped that Henry had the right magic to take her down.
The sun was just beginning to dip behind the horizon as I came to Audrey's house. The world bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun and the trees whispered of summer coming soon. The world had the appearance of peace, even if I knew that wasn't truly the case.
I swallowed hard, adjusted my jacket, and walked up to the front door and knocked.
Chapter 29
"There you are, darling. I was beginning to think you might be late," Audrey purred, holding open the door.
She looked resplendent in a boxy-cut tea-length white dress. Her dark hair was up on the top of her head and her green eyes shone from under long lashes. She wore white heels that clicked on the marble floors as she walked to the kitchen.
"Take your coat off," she commanded. I didn't, keeping it buttoned up. I wasn't about to take it off.
She sighed and shrugged. "Suit yourself."
"I'd like to get this over with." She just ignored me and walked into the kitchen.
"I believe this deserves some champagne to celebrate," she said. She picked up a bottle from an ice bucket and popped the cork, making me jump. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.
"Before I give this information to you, I want to make sure it's what you really want." I stepped into the kitchen to face her. "It's not too late to stop this."
"Stop this?" Audrey laughed. "There's nothing to stop. This is how it's supposed to be, dear."
"I don't want to do this. This isn't right. You know that it isn't right."
She sighed. "You won't get anything on tape from me. Though you do get an A for effort. Stop trying, please. It's very annoying. I know you have a backup phone. It's no use to you."
"I'm just making sure that you understand what I'm about to hand you." I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out a thumb drive. "I'm giving you the chance for both of us to walk away from this."
"To walk away from millions of dollars?" She snatched the small metal drive from my hand. "Of course I'll do that. Of course I'll do the right thing and walk away."
"Audrey..."
"No, no, no. You have put me on the path to salvation," she said, holding up the thumb-drive with a smile. "You keep that dirty thumb drive. You destroy it. I want no part in your schemes, Aria."
I sighed. She was playing to a non-existent recording device. If I had been on my own, I would have no thumb drive and a recording of her saying that she didn't want it. It would have been useless to me.
She walked over to a laptop set up on the kitchen counter and plugged in the drive. It took a moment, but suddenly thousands of images popped up on the screen. They were all documents outlining everything from Paradisa's mining abilities to oil reserves to technology.
"Oh, Aria. This is perfect," she whispered. "I had no idea you could be so thorough. I'm very impressed. Your father's legacy is safe with you."
"Then I'm done?" I asked. "I want your word that I'm done."
She laughed, the sound cold and chilling. She turned from the computer, her eyes glittering like those of a snake.
"You'll be done when I say you're done," she replied. "I know that you went to the ball after I explicitly told you not to. You will be punished for that."
My cheeks flashed hot. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, Senator Glenn thinks she's clever, but she's not," Audrey scoffed. "It's not like it's hard to follow you, dear. You didn't even try."
"I got you what you wanted." I crossed my arms and then quickly uncrossed them. "What more could you want?"
"The world, dear." Audrey smiled and it made me shiver. "You are safe for now. But, I have these documents now. Documents only you had access to. I'm sure I'll think of something you can do for me in the future."
I was shaking with rage. I knew this would happen, but it still made me angry. Blackmail never stopped. It just paused for a little while.
"I have nothing left to give you," I said, my voice coming out low and dangerous. "What more could you possibly want from me?"
"I hear you're dating a businessman from Paradisa these days." Audrey poured herself a glass of champagne and sipped on it. "An interesting choice, given the documents I didn't take."
My fists clenched up tight enough that my nails dug into my palms. If she knew about Henry...
"Oh don't be so dramatic," she scoffed. "He's a nobody, darling. Just like you."
I wanted to hit something. I wanted to scream. Henry was so much more than a nobody. But I kept my cool. She had the files now. As far as she knew, she was the one in control.
"Since you didn't take the files, are we done? Can I go home?" I asked. "I'd like to go back to my old job."
Audrey turned and scrolled through the documents, her eyes dancing with delight. She waved her hand at me. "Yes, yes. You can go. I'm done with you, for now."
I took two steps to the door. "It doesn't have to be this way, Audrey." I stopped and looked at her. "It doesn't have to be like this."
Her cold green eyes slowly came to mine. "Dear, this is exactly how it has to be. I own you just as I owned your father. You will dance to my tune. The world will dance to my tune. It is my destiny and you are just a worthless little pawn."