A Vengeful Affair by Carmen Falcone

also remodeled Javier’s penthouse in Monaco.” Dominique looked at Javier, who simply nodded. “And what do you do, Vivian?”
    “Most of the time, I do as I please,” Vivian replied. She knew the woman would laugh if she mentioned she worked as a receptionist, and she didn’t want to give her the satisfaction.
    Javier bestowed Vivian with an admiring smile.
    For the rest of dinner, Javier paid little attention to Dominique, and Dominique became increasingly upset. Edouard smoothed the atmosphere with light jokes and good-spirited comments. After dinner, they returned to the living room for coffee and dessert wine.
    Dominique cornered Javier near a large window, talking to him quietly in French. She appeared to be angry. Vivian was now certain the French woman had had an affair with Javier and that it had ended badly—at least for Dominique. She could tell by the woman’s body language that she wanted another chance with Javier.
    Shaking her head, she turned her attention to Edouard, who looked at her with amusement. He must have been watching her as she observed the interaction across the room.
    Vivian looked down, feeling ashamed. She had reached a new low: speculating about Javier’s love life. What a stupid waste of time…
    I have to regroup.
    She needed to splash some cold water on her face to cool her down and bring her to her senses.
    “Where is the restroom?” Vivian asked.
    “I’ll show you, Mademoiselle Foster.” The butler gestured for her to follow him, and as she walked from the room, she was aware of Javier’s gaze fixed on her.
    After using the facilities, she stepped into the wide hall, closing the bathroom door behind her. A sudden shadow in the hall startled her, making her gasp.
    Edouard quickly stepped into the light. “Shh…” The older man approached her silently, finger to his lips. “I want to ask you about Molly Richardson.”
    Vivian nodded without speaking.
    “I’ve tried calling you at the hotel, but it was impossible to contact you.”
    “So you came up with the dinner idea.” Vivian smiled. The presence of Dominique now made complete sense. Edouard had invited one of Javier’s former flames to make sure he’d be kept busy enough that Edouard could whisk her away for a talk.
    “Yes. Vivian, I take requests seriously. People who are in trouble often have a hard time admitting it.” His expression grew serious. “Are you in trouble, my dear?”
    Vivian took a deep breath. “Molly Richardson was Javier’s project manager in London. They had an affair that ended badly. She died two weeks afterward. The police ruled it a suicide, but I have my doubts.”
    Edouard grimaced.
    “After the end of the affair, Molly was hurting. She tried to sabotage an important business deal by sharing information with an opponent. Javier couldn’t afford any bad press. He fired her and tried to buy her off, but she refused to take his money.” Vivian glanced behind Edouard to make sure they remained alone and unheard.
    Edouard scratched his chin, his expression enigmatic.
    “She told me a couple of men began to follow her every move. One day, she came home to find her flat turned upside down. Molly said one of the men manhandled her. She concluded that Javier had hired them to bully her into not selling any information she got her hands on.” Vivian’s voice trembled with emotion.
    “Did she look for help?”
    Vivian shook her head. “She said he threatened that if she went to the police, he would also sue her for having tried to sell insider information.” Vivian could still hear Molly sobbing when she told the story.
    “Who else knows about this?”
    “She only told me about the whole thing after she couldn’t take it anymore, shortly before her death. Maybe her mother knows, although they were estranged. And there’s someone else involved—someone I can’t tell you about. He knows it and may use it in his favor.” Vivian clenched her hands, slippery with sweat.
    This was