Page 25 of His Untouchable Heart

I grabbed two glasses from the cabinet, poured generously into both, and slid one across to her.

“It’s Frank Curtain.”

“Of course it is.” She took the glass but didn’t drink. “What did he do? What does he have on you?”

“As you know, he showed up outside the gallery when Anthony and I were… well, I’ve already told you the details.” I waved a hand in the air, too exhausted for euphemisms. “Turns out he saw us. Actually saw us. He made a point to mention it today—showed up again like he had all the time in the world while Anthony was not there, meeting with the judge unexpectedly.”

Juliette’s lips parted slightly and her glass still frozen halfway to her mouth.

“The good news is the gallery tape has been erased,” I said. “Completely wiped. No trace. But now I have to wonder if Curtain took his own photo—something from outside, through the window. He was smug. Too smug. It wasn’t just a bluff. He saw everything.”

Juliette winced and finally took a long sip of her wine. “Okay. That’s disgusting. And creepy. And also very on-brand for him.”

I nodded. “He says he has a client—someone who gave him a painting as payment for legal services. He wants me to find a buyer for it. Quietly. No questions asked.”

“Wait,” she said, setting her glass down hard enough to thump. “He’s blackmailing you into moving art for him?”

“Pretty much. Said he’d get back to me with the details in a few days. Until then, I’m supposed to sit tight and think about all the ways my professional reputation could go up in flames.”

And not just mine.

I leaned my weight on the counter, trying to keep my voice steady. “If this gets out… it’s not just me who takes the hit. Anthony could lose everything. His position with the foundation, his career, and his credibility. All of it.”

Juliette’s expression sobered even more, her playfulness dropping away completely. “He’s that exposed?”

“He’s the one they trusted to clean up the Devereux mess,” I said. “One whiff of scandal, and the vultures will eat him alive.”

Juliette leaned back with a low groan. “You always know how to make my night more interesting.”

“Glad I could help.” I pulled out my phone and opened the taco place’s app. “Should I order our usual?”

She gave a weak nod, then gestured toward the wine cooler. “Grab a bottle of the cheap Sauv Blanc, too. I don’t want to waste the good stuff if we’re about to become accessories to art crime.”

I snorted despite myself and got moving.

“Extra guac?” I called over my shoulder.

“Obviously,” she said. “If we’re going down, we’re going down full of tacos and cheese.”

By the time the tacos arrived, we’d both changed into loose sun dresses and stepped out onto the terrace, where the breeze off the bay softened the Miami heat just enough to be tolerable. The city lights flickered in the distance, and the hum of traffic below was a kind of white noise—familiar, almost comforting. But nothing about tonight felt familiar.

Juliette passed me a taco, then settled into the chair across from mine, legs tucked beneath her like she didn’t have a care in the world. I envied that.

“I hate that he has this power over Anthony and me,” I said, unwrapping the foil. “I’m a professional, and so is Anthony. We’ve both built our reputations carefully. If this gets out… people won’t ask questions. They’ll assume we’re scandalous and untouchable professionally.”

I picked at the tortilla instead of taking a bite. “And Anthony… gets a whiff about his assistant helping Curtain?—”

“Game over,” Juliette said, finishing for me.

“Exactly. His name, his position, everything he’s built for himself professionally… it’ll all be tainted. He deserves better than that.”

She didn’t say anything right away. Just sipped her wine and stared out over the terrace railing like she was assembling puzzle pieces in her head.

Then: “If Curtain really had a bomb to drop, he’d have dropped it by now. You don’t sit on nuclear evidence unless you’re trying to rattle someone.”

I glanced over at her. “You think he’s stalling?”

She nodded. “Classic predator move. Make you sweat. Make you feel like he’s got all the cards. But the way you described Curtain? That smugness? That was a bluff.”

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