Chapter 196: Public Whispers

Dorian slowly turned his head toward him. "And let me guess. You helped cover up one of the Sterlings’ secrets."

"Every client we have at Heathcliffe & Associates has one secret or another."

"We do not help with cover-ups."

Alistair exhaled. "Don’t be na?ve."

Dorian’s brows lifted.

That was insulting.

"I’m not saying I destroy evidence or clean crime scenes."

"Wonderful. What a reassuring distinction."

Alistair lowered his voice. "We represent wealthy people. People whose mistakes don’t look like ordinary people’s mistakes because there is usually more money involved. Sometimes our job is to keep those mistakes from destroying everything around them."

"Our job is to represent them legally. Not bury things."

"I didn’t say bury."

"You’re using a lot of words to avoid saying exactly what you did."

"Look," Alistair said finally, "the problem is not Sterling himself, Dorian. The problem is your wife’s family."

Every muscle in Dorian’s body seemed to tighten at once.

Alistair saw the shift and gave a tired sigh. Looks like anything concerning his wife was a sore topic.

"What does my wife’s family have to do with this? Stop circling whatever point you’re trying to make."

"Victor Sterling has problems, yes. Callum has clearly inherited several of them and added his own stupidity to the collection. But that account you were looking into? Whatever you think you’re going to find there, Richard Whitmore is tangled up in the larger picture. Have you taken a closer look at them?"

"What does that mean?" Dorian demanded.

"It means that instead of paying so much attention to the Sterlings, you should find out more about your wife’s family. Then you’ll realise the Sterlings aren’t actually the enemy."

"Uncle Alistair, do you think me stupid?"

"For goodness’ sake, I’m trying to help you."

"No," Dorian snapped. "You’re trying to help your client." He stepped closer, lowering his voice but not the anger behind it. "I do not buy that Callum is going to stand down. I do not buy it one bit. He hired men to assault me, and his father had to make him apologise. That doesn’t tell me he suddenly discovered humility."

"I intend to protect myself and my wife, and I do not care if we lose their business."

"Of course. It all comes down to having me kicked out of the firm, doesn’t it?"

Dorian’s mouth curved. "Happy coincidence, if that happens."

"Listen to me."

"No, you listen. I will know what I need to know," Dorian said. "I don’t care how uncomfortable that makes you, Sterling or anyone else attached to this. And if I sense or sniff the Ster in the Lings anywhere near my business, they will be finished. And you tell them I said so."

Alistair looked as though he wanted to argue further, but Dorian had already made up his mind. He didn’t trust Callum. He didn’t trust Victor. He definitely didn’t trust whatever vague nonsense Alistair was trying to feed him.

If Richard Whitmore was involved, Dorian would find out how. If the Sterlings were hiding something, he would find that too.

And if any of it touched Naomi again, then client relationships would become the least of everybody’s concerns.

Across the reception hall, Naomi had developed problems of her own.

She had started toward the buffet tables mostly to escape the awkwardness of standing alone with Lillian, but the moment she reached the edge of the crowd, she spotted Camille.

Camille stood with a small group of guests, posing for pictures and smiling beautifully at phones held in front of her. She looked polished, and completely at ease.

Naomi slowed and changed direction. She walked through the crowd with her champagne still in hand. She stopped directly behind Camille while one of the guests adjusted their phone for another picture. She took in Camille’s perfect posture, perfect hair and perfect little social smile.

The woman certainly loved an audience.

Naomi could work with that.

"So how did your sabotage work out for you?" Naomi asked loudly enough for the closest surrounding guests to hear. "Were you hoping to gloat to your fans about how Chef Bennett failed to deliver at the Heathcliffe wedding?"

Camille turned slowly, the pleasant expression she had been wearing for the cameras disappearing. "What are you talking about?"

Naomi looked genuinely impressed. "You really do have two faces. The one for the cameras and the one off camera." She kept her smile in place. "I delivered despite your meddling. Even when you blacklisted me, I delivered. So if you want to cripple my business, you’re going to have to try harder."

The whispering started immediately.

Naomi felt a small, private satisfaction.

Of course, one small confrontation wouldn’t ruin Camille. But image mattered to her. That much Naomi knew.

Camille cared about perception, about who believed what. She glanced quickly at the guests closest to them. "I..." Her composure slipped. "I don’t know what she’s talking about, I swear."

Naomi lifted her champagne glass slightly. "Enjoy the food, ladies and gentlemen."

Then she turned and walked away.

A clean hit and an elegant exit.

Behind her, Camille was already trying to explain herself to people who had not actually accused her of anything.

Naomi continued toward the buffet area, resisting the temptation to look back. She could practically hear Camille working overtime to repair the moment. Naomi checked the food stations, spoke briefly to one of the servers and made sure everything remained properly stocked.

Soon enough, Dorian found her again. The rest of the reception moved quickly after that.

They drank. They danced. They laughed. They flirted shamelessly enough that at one point Lexie passed them and told Dorian to remember they were at his sister’s wedding, not their honeymoon.

Dorian had responded by pulling Naomi closer just to annoy her.

For someone who had spent the morning dreading the entire event, Dorian eventually loosened up enough to have a good time.

Naomi had figured him out.

That was probably why she saw what was coming before he even tried it.

Eventually, the reception began winding down. People started gathering near the exit so they could see the newlyweds off.

Ginny and Oliver were preparing to leave, surrounded by family and friends eager to wave, throw confetti, take more photographs and generally make the departure as emotional as possible.

Naomi stood and looked around for Dorian.

He was nearby, but instead of moving toward the doors with everyone else, he stayed where he was.

"I think I’ll sit this part out," he said.