Chapter 15: Founders' Night

Imogen's POV

I wore the green dress.

Colby had told me to, and I wanted him to see me walk into his room in the color he'd picked.

The Lathrop Foundation hall had a hundred guests, a string quartet, and a wall screen the size of a garage door.

Nathaniel stood beside me at the top of the stairs in a black suit.

He had not been inside this building in four years.

"Last chance to leave," he said.

"You first," I said, and took his arm.

We went down the stairs together.

The talking stopped in a ring around us, and then started again too loudly.

A woman in pearls turned her back.

A man I'd shaken hands with at three Lathrop Christmases looked at the ceiling.

"Smile," I said under my breath. "You're a husband the board can see."

"I'm smiling."

"You look like you're being arrested."

His mouth twitched.

"Better?"

"Slightly."

One man didn't turn away.

He was gray and heavy, with a board pin on his lapel, and he walked up and shook Nathaniel's hand with both of his.

"You came," he said.

"I told you I would."

"I'm the one who texts you," the man said, very low. "Your father has four votes counted, and he's two short. Everyone else is undecided."

"Then I have to win the two."

"You have to win the room," the man said. "Good luck, son."

He moved away.

I found Bethany by the coat check.

She wore a black dress with long sleeves, and her face was bare of any glow.

She was holding a clutch purse against her ribs with both arms.

"It's on," she whispered. "Since six o'clock."

"Where?"

"Under the collar. A button, and a recorder taped to my back."

"Can he tell?"

"He hugged me at the door." She tried to laugh. "He didn't notice."

I looked at her for a second.

"If he touches you tonight, you leave. You walk out of this room and Bridget has a car at the curb."

"I know."

"I mean it."

"Imogen." Her voice shook. "Why are you being kind?"

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