Chapter 299

As soon as she walked into his office, Brianna realized he couldn’t have heard her knock. knew, somehow, that she was glimpsing a side of Elmo Nicoli that he would prefer no one, not even his lover, to see.

His head was in his hands, his shoulders slumped, and his complexion was grey beneath his fingers. She should turn, Brianna thought, walk out and knock again, saving them both the embarrassment of explanations. But in that frozen second, he looked up.

‘I’m sorry…’ She spilled the words out. "What I said to the press"—I know it was indiscreet; I know I should have called you straight after. I was just so embarrassed...

His expression gave her nothing, no clue at all, and even though he was looking at her, it was as if he was looking straight through her—as if he wasn’t even hearing her.

"I was just put on the spot." I knew how important it was that it didn’t come out about Evaristo—what it would do to him if there was even a hint of an affair...

The clap of his hands was like the cr