“I believed that might be apparent. I needed to harm Patrick by taking away one thing vital to him. And it’s gone even higher than I believed. You clearly needed to get near him to get the portray after which betray him. Fantastic. Plus, I think about you’ve discovered an vital lesson about whether or not or not you need to spy on my firm. All in all, I’d say this has gone precisely as I deliberate.”

The items of the puzzle fell into place and Emma felt a brand new wave of concern wash over her.

“You set me up.” Her voice got here out wobblier than she needed.

“Did I?” Aleksander chuckled once more. “I don’t assume so. You’re the one who infiltrated Patrick’s firm and stole his portray. There’s no document of our work collectively, and you’ve got possession of the portray. I feel any investigator value their salt will be capable of put collectively what occurred. You, a company spy, determined to steal a portray. I had no position in it.”

“You’ll be able to’t do that.” Emma felt the partitions closing in round her. This was a lot worse than she’d imagined. She’d betrayed Patrick for nothing. She’d find yourself in jail anyway the second Patrick reported the portray stolen. Aleksander was proper; there was no document that he had been behind the theft. The blame would come down on her.

“Hmm. I feel I can. However don’t fear, Emma. I’ll maintain my phrase. I received’t flip you in to the police. I’ll let Patrick try this for me.”

After which the road went useless. Emma stared on the telephone in disbelief. This couldn’t be taking place. Wild concepts whirled by means of her head. Perhaps she may reverse the heist and return the portray. Perhaps she may clarify to Patrick what had occurred. Perhaps she may by some means discover proof towards Aleksander.

However as quickly as every concept got here to her, she dismissed it. The harm had been performed. She’d resigned from work and eliminated her presence. She’d stolen the portray. Even when Patrick let her again into his dwelling, there was little or no likelihood she may pull off her heist once more. And if she defined to him what had occurred, she’d find yourself in jail anyway. There was no approach he’d be capable of forgive her. Emma wasn’t positive she may forgive herself.

It wasn’t even in regards to the portray, though that was dangerous sufficient. It was that Emma had gained Patrick’s belief, grown near him, even spent the night time with him, after which betrayed him.

Her work as a company spy had at all times had its share of lies. She’d lied about her identify, utilizing a protracted line of pseudonyms as final names to obscure her id. She’d invented references and job histories. She’d sneaked into places of work late at night time to take photos of paperwork. She’d downloaded safe recordsdata and despatched them to her shoppers. She’d even recorded a couple of conversations with a tiny microphone pen. Emma knew that none of it was precisely proper, however she’d at all times figured that it was okay to stroll the road between proper and fallacious.

In any case, her earlier jobs had by no means harm anybody. She’d at all times refused to take any job that would harm a person particular person. Corporations have been a unique story, however Emma knew effectively sufficient that the businesses she’d spied on bounced again after a while. A CEO of an organization she’d stolen info from had even posted an op-ed about how the doc launch had truly helped the corporate enhance their moral requirements in the long term.

So, stealing Aurora had been fallacious. Emma knew it. However she knew simply as effectively that Patrick may recuperate ultimately from the lack of a portray. The lack of a lady who he may need felt an actual reference to could be a lot more durable to swallow.

Even when he weren’t going to show her over to the police, Emma wouldn’t have been in a position to confess to Patrick. Not solely did she not really feel like she may face seeing him once more, it wouldn’t be truthful to him to fire up the miasma of feelings yet again.

No. She wanted to tug herself collectively. Ultimately, the police would most likely come for her. It was solely a matter of time earlier than Patrick known as them. However till then, she would look after Aurora and take a look at her finest to overlook Patrick. Perhaps, if she have been very fortunate, she’d have an opportunity to return the portray and apologize sometime.

As unlikely as that felt now.

One other tear rolled down Emma’s cheek. Every little thing had gone so very fallacious.

CHAPTER 16

PATRICK

Patrick went by means of the remainder of his workday in a form of haze. He hadn’t been capable of finding greater than a scrap of data on Emma wherever on-line. An increasing number of, he questioned if she’d existed in any respect.

When 5 o’clock got here, he closed his laptop and left, though he’d barely performed any work all day. He simply couldn’t give attention to something.

On the cab journey dwelling, he replayed every second he’d spent with Emma. He remembered seeing her that first day, their conferences within the workplace, driving the elevators up and down within the morning and night. He remembered seeing her on the charity gala in her beautiful gown, these magnificent curls throughout her face. He remembered holding her in his arms as they swayed collectively that night time.

After which there was the gallery go to in Cincinnati — after they’d virtually kissed and had spent hours speaking about portray after portray. Lastly, essentially the most painful reminiscences got here again to him, and he considered Emma simply final night time, sitting beside him, speaking to him, laying again in his mattress as he kissed her with a ardour he’d by no means identified earlier than.

How may Emma be actual? There was no details about her wherever, and she or he appeared to have fallen off the face of the earth between final night time and this morning. Plus, she’d been so personal about her previous and had solely shared a couple of tales with him — and never precisely of her personal volition. She’d solely opened up when he’d actually pressed her.

But, how may she not be actual? He’d held her in his arms simply hours in the past, and she or he’d been completely actual then. Most significantly, there was no cause why she would have joined the corporate, gotten concerned with him, after which disappeared this morning. It nonetheless didn’t make sense.

When Patrick lastly bought again to his house, he was exhausted regardless of the early hour. The hassle of looking for any hint of Emma had left him drained and fearful. He poured himself a glass of wine and sank onto his sofa. He wanted a technique to cross the night, ideally with out serious about Emma.

Her suggestion that he wanted a ardour outdoors of labor got here again to him and he snorted. This is able to be an ideal time to have a passion. Any passion.

Patrick drifted his gaze across the room in hopes of discovering some inspiration. His eyes quickly landed on Aurora. Identical to this morning, the portray appeared to mirror his darkish temper. He seemed on, towards the window, then felt his gaze being drawn again. One thing was off about Aurora, and it wasn’t the same old approach that the portray appeared to shift primarily based on the sunshine or the day.

Patrick slowly set down his wine glass and stood to look at the portray extra intently. As he got here nearer, he seen a couple of particulars weren’t quiet proper. The comb strokes have been… freer, as if the artist was portray fortunately. The impact was muted but colourful — and it was not how Aurora was. The sky seemed brighter, as if the sundown had simply begun. And that coloration blue hadn’t been obtainable within the 1800s. Though Patrick was no artwork historian, he was positive of that.

There was just one clarification. This wasn’t Aurora.

For a protracted second, Patrick was confused. He stored trying on the portray and tried to determine how this might look so like Aurora however be a forgery.

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