Chapter 78
Nora's POV
I checked the time on my phone—11:45 AM. Close enough. I grabbed my things and headed for the exit, weaving through clusters of attendees still deep in conversation. The cold air outside hit me like a slap, sharp and bracing, clearing some of the irritation from my head.
Haitang Pavilion was a short walk across the plaza, tucked into a quieter corner of the convention center complex. The building had that upscale restaurant aesthetic—gold accents, soft instrumental music drifting out into the entryway. I checked Benjamin's text again to confirm the room number and made my way inside.
The hostess directed me down a hallway lined with private dining rooms. I found the one Benjamin had mentioned and pushed it open, expecting to see him sitting alone, probably scrolling through his phone.
Instead, I froze.
Four people occupied the room. Julian sat at the head of the table in a crisp white dress shirt, sleeves rolled to his forearms, no tie. He looked completely at ease. Across from him sat Robert—the DSW supervisor—and beside him was Ethan. Benjamin stood near the far end of the table, grinning like he'd just pulled off the world's greatest magic trick.
My brain short-circuited for a solid three seconds.
Julian's eyes met mine over the rim of his cup, and the corner of his mouth curved upward—not quite a smirk, but close enough. He looked entirely unsurprised to see me, which meant this was absolutely not a coincidence.
I forced myself to recover, stepping fully into the room and shutting the door behind me. "Mr. Sterling. Mr. Harris." I nodded at them in turn, keeping my voice polite and professional. "Good afternoon."
Robert stood immediately, his face lighting up. "Grey! Good to see you. Come in, come in. Heard you landed at NPR—congratulations!"
"Thank you, sir."
Julian set his cup down slowly, his gaze never leaving me. "Miss Grey. What a pleasant surprise."
Surprise my ass. I schooled my expression into something neutral and took a step closer to the table. Benjamin was already pulling out the chair across from Ethan. "Nora! We ran into Mr. Sterling—they were here discussing work, and they invited us to join them for lunch."
I looked at Benjamin's innocent face and thought, You believe that. I don't. Out loud, I said, "What a coincidence."
Julian's smile widened just a fraction, like he could hear every word I wasn't saying. Robert gestured toward the empty seat. "Please, sit. We were just about to order."
I hesitated for half a second, weighing my options. Walking out would be rude and suspicious. Staying meant playing along with whatever this setup was. And judging by the way Julian was watching me—calm, patient, faintly amused—he knew exactly what I was thinking.
Fine. Let's hear what they have to say.
I moved toward the chair Benjamin had pulled out, but before I could sit, Julian spoke again. "Actually, Miss Grey, I wanted to discuss something with you about Cold Creek."
Ethan stood immediately, smooth as silk. "Miss Grey, why don't you sit here? It'll be easier for you and the Inspector to discuss face-to-face."
Of course. Of course this was the plan.
I set my bag down and slid into the chair directly across from Julian, meeting his gaze head-on. His expression didn't change, but there was a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes—brief, almost imperceptible, but definitely there.
"Thank you for accommodating my request, Miss Grey," he said, his tone perfectly polite and entirely too pleased with himself.
"Of course, Mr. Sterling." I kept my voice even. "I'm happy to help."
Robert cleared his throat. "Well, this works out perfectly. We were just discussing the Cold Creek situation, actually. The follow-up work has been... inconsistent."
Julian's expression shifted, the amusement fading into something sharper. He tapped a finger against the edge of his tablet, pulling up a document. "Inconsistent is generous. The latest progress report on Cold Creek is nothing but a perfunctory piece of paper."
Robert's face went pale. Ethan remained perfectly still, his expression unreadable. Benjamin glanced between them, clearly sensing the shift in tone but not quite understanding it.
Julian continued, his voice cold and precise. "The first two phases of the report were thorough—detailed records, solid data, real analysis. But this?" He turned the tablet so Robert could see the screen. "This is a copy-paste job. Whoever wrote it clearly didn't bother to do any actual fieldwork. They just reformatted the earlier reports and called it progress."
I sat back slightly, watching him work. This wasn't about Cold Creek. Or rather, it wasn't just about Cold Creek. He was making a point—publicly, in front of witnesses—about the quality of DSW's work. And by extension, about the quality of my work.
Robert shifted in his seat, his hands clasped tightly on the table. "Inspector, I assure you, we'll—"
"If this gets submitted to the Federal Audit Office as a policy reference, it'll make DSW look incompetent." Julian's tone didn't rise, but the weight behind it was unmistakable.
The silence that followed was suffocating. Robert looked like he wanted to crawl under the table.
Julian leaned back in his chair, his eyes shifting to me. "Miss Grey's earlier investigation reports were exemplary. Clear logic, comprehensive data, genuine attention to the human impact. That's the standard we need."
I kept my expression carefully neutral, but inside, my thoughts were racing. He's doing this on purpose. He's vouching for my work in front of my old boss to make a point.
Robert nodded quickly, seizing the opportunity to recover. "Absolutely. Grey's work has always been top-notch. It's just—she's no longer with DSW, so—"
"So?" Julian's tone turned faintly incredulous. "She left the department, so we just let the work fall apart? That's not how professionalism works, Mr. Harris."
Robert flinched. "Of course not, Inspector. I'll have the team redo the report immediately."
"Or," Julian said, his gaze still locked on me, "we could ask someone who actually knows what they're doing. Miss Grey is familiar with Cold Creek's situation. She wrote the original reports. It makes sense for her to complete the follow-up work."
I opened my mouth to object, but Robert jumped in first. "That's an excellent idea, Mr. Sterling. If Miss Grey is willing—"
"I'm not sure that's appropriate," I said quickly, finally finding my voice. "I'm no longer employed by DSW. It wouldn't be proper for me to—"
"It's contract work," Julian interrupted smoothly. "Freelance consultation. DSW hires external experts all the time. This is no different."
Except it is, I thought. Because this isn't about the report. This is about keeping me tied to you.