Page 7 of Unfaithful

"Try to call her, please."

"I did," Dona said. "She didn't pick up."

"Try calling security downstairs. I'm worried something happened to her. She's about to have the baby soon."

"I saw Elsa heading to the second elevator row," Angie, another team member, suddenly said as she arrived at her desk across from Dona. She must have just returned from a meeting. "Probably going to your husband for some budget approval."

I frowned. I hadn't asked Elsa to do anything like that. Why would she go there?

Angie glanced at me, a knowing smirk tugging at her lips, which made me suspicious. "You didn't send her?"

"No," I said, shaking my head. A strange feeling crept into my chest. Why would she go to Cole?

Dona, who had been silent until now, looked up from her laptop. "Maybe she took the initiative? Or maybe she needed some advice?"

"Still, she should've run it by me first," I muttered, reaching for my phone. My fingers hovered over the screen, debating whether to text Elsa. I turned to Dona. "I'll be in my office. Let me know if she comes back."

Dona nodded.

As soon as the door to my office closed, I called Cole. He didn't pick up. I tried again. After the third ring, he finally answered.

"Hi, babe," his voice came through the speaker, warm but distracted.

"Honey, I'm looking for Elsa. Is she there?"

A brief pause. "She was here this morning, but she already left."

I frowned. "Why did she come to see you?" I couldn't quite hide the suspicion in my tone.

Elsa was technically an employee of the parent company, not mine, which meant she reported to Cole. But Cole assigned her to assist me in monitoring finances. If she had something to report, the professional courtesy would have been to consult me first.

Cole sighed heavily through the speaker. "She wanted to go over some numbers before submitting them. She said it was urgent."

I clenched my jaw. "And you didn't ask if I had already gone through them?"

Another pause. Then, a sigh. "I told her I'd review them first. We can review them together if you want."

That didn't make me feel any better. "But she said nothing to me," I said. "Which numbers did she talk about?"

Cole didn't answer me. "Cole?"

"The Jamison project," he finally answered. "Babe, sorry, I'm a bit distracted. I have an urgent email I need to send. I'll talk to you tonight, okay?"

"Okay," I replied slowly. "Love you."

"Love you too."

He ended the call.

I returned to my emails, forcing myself to focus on the reports and requests piling up in my inbox. But the nagging feeling in my chest refused to fade, a persistent distraction that made concentration impossible. My eyes skimmed over the words on the screen, but my mind kept circling back to Elsa.

Why would she go to Cole for something without discussing it with me first? It felt like she didn't trust me. This was my husband's company, for God's sake. I could just ask him in bed tonight.

I needed answers. I dialed Cole's number again.

No answer.

Frustrated, I pushed back from my desk and walked out of my office. "I'm stepping out for a bit," I called to Dona as I headed for the elevator. "Be back after lunch."

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