Page 111 of Perfume Girl
Penelope knew I was the creator of that scent.
Hugging the envelope to my chest, I ran over the plan. I could walk into Astor’s office right now with the ledger and accuse them both of stealing.
Penelope would deny it.
They both would.
They had too much to lose to ever admit stealing my formula. My heart ached with the possibility that Astor was an accomplice…that he knew this had been in her office all along.
That he had led me on.
All that time I had slaved away in their lab. All those hours I had given to them despite everything. The realization hit me that the ledger had been easy to find—because it didn’t matter now. Seconds ago, I had stood in Astor’s office about to view a formula I could be accused of copying into this ledgerafterthe fact. The only way to convince Astor I hadn’t stolen that formula was to never have seen it.
I started to head out of Penelope’s office and jolted to a stop.
Taylor was standing in the doorway.
RAQUEL HAD BEEN GONE TOOlong and Penelope was growing more impatient with each passing second.
“Let me call her.” I pulled out my phone and dialed Raquel’s number. The call went to voicemail. “Hey, Raquel, where are you?” I hoped she’d detect the lightness of my tone to lessen the tension.
I reached for my desk phone.
“Where is she?” snapped Penelope. “I have another appointment.”
I shot my sister a warning glare and said into the phone, “Hey, Arabella, is Ms. Wren down there? Can you send her to my office, please?” I hung up.
Penelope fisted her hands on her hips. “She lost her store, right?”
“That’s why she needs this job.”
“How can you be certain she’s not a corporate spy?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” I hid my doubt from her.
“You’re in love with her?”
“She’s only been here a few weeks.”
“She’s up to something.”
“Raquel is extremely qualified.”
“The way you look at her—”
“Do I look like a man who does insta-love?” Yet even as I spoke those words, I felt the truth deep inside. Raquel had swept into my life like a vision of loveliness, and I’d craved her presence since the first day we’d met at Bridgestone. I was missing her right now.
Where are you, Raquel?
Penelope slid off the desk and came toward me. “We need her to give us the missing piece—” She waved her hand at the folder.
“We have other chemists—”
“She’s the best for this.”
“And why do you think that?” I studied her.
She threw up her middle finger at me.
