My Groom Chose His Mistress, Not Knowing I Was the CEO novel · Chapter 9 of 24

Chapter 9: The Study

Carter's study was on the second floor at the end of the hall, behind a door that was always shut.

I'd never seen it open.

The brass key turned on the first try.

Jack stayed in the doorway with his back to the room, watching the stairs.

"You have ten minutes before anyone could be back," he said. "I'll knock twice if I hear a car."

"Don't look."

"I'm not looking."

"You can look if you want."

"I'll look when you tell me to."

I stepped inside.

It was a plain room with a desk, two leather chairs and a tall gray filing cabinet standing against the window.

The bottom drawer was locked, and the key was taped under the desk drawer.

I took the key from under the desk drawer, unlocked the cabinet's bottom drawer, and opened it.

There was one folder inside.

The tab read DUNHILL, I.

Not Bannon.

My hands didn't shake when I lifted it out.

They had stopped shaking on the gala stage.

Inside were photographs.

I was at a school art auction in October, holding a painting by one of my students and laughing.

I was on a bus.

I was at my mother's grave in the spring, with a bunch of white tulips.

I stood in the doorway of my own apartment building with a bag of groceries, and the picture had been taken from across the street.

"Jack."

He turned his head.

"Come here."

He came and looked over my shoulder.

His jaw tightened, and he said nothing at all.

Under the photographs was a typed sheet titled APPROACH.

I read it out loud, because I needed to hear it.

"Subject is Eleanor Dunhill's only granddaughter. Raised by the mother, Bannon. Teaches art, Bronx. Uses mother's surname. Does not tell people. Likely believes she is loved only when she is plain."

I stopped.

"Keep going," Jack said.

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