Chapter 38. The Price They Printed

The story was online before Diana reached work.

Eva met her by the elevator with two coffees and no attempt to look cheerful.

“I've already seen it,” Diana said.

“Then take the one with sugar.”

The photograph beneath the headline had been taken at Leo's wedding. Diana was walking out beside Gabriel, his hand close to her back. In the picture, she looked like a woman who knew exactly what she was doing.

The article called the check a private financial arrangement. It mentioned the Hans contract in the following paragraph.

That was all it needed to do.

At her desk, Diana put down her bag. Two people stopped speaking. Another gave her an expression of sympathetic curiosity that felt worse.

An email waited from a longtime client. He wanted to know whether she was still handling his renovation order or whether he should ask for someone else. There was nothing unkind in the wording. That almost made it harder.

Diana called hi