Page 4 of Silent Echo

And his bonuses were more than enough … for a while. She should have known the returns Eli made for them and his clients were too good to be true. Everything came crashing down when Sebastion turned four. The SEC closed down the firm, and the CEO and CFO, and a handful of other executives, went to prison. Eli swore he knew nothing about the illegal activities and was never arrested. Charlotte believed in his innocence, but it didn’t make the situation any easier. Some part of her found it hard to believe he hadn’t known. He was an intelligent man; how could he not discern what was happening? Even though he was cleared, he couldn’t overcome the stigma his tenure there had stained him with. His clients lost millions, and he became a pariah in the industry. That was when she had to return to work, all leading to that fateful day and an ignored tummy ache.

She started typing again.

Let’s plan something for the weekend. I’m beat.

He’d be disappointed, but it was better than getting into an argument in public.

CHAPTER THREE

She waited until Harper had gone to sleep before confronting Eli. He was watching a show when she walked into the living room.

“Mind pausing that a minute? I need to talk to you.”

He grabbed the remote and did so, then looked over at her. “What’s up.”

She took a seat on the sofa. “Harper said something today that concerns me.”

“What did she say?”

“Apparently, Madison thinks it’s appropriate to discuss my mental state with our daughter.”

“What?”

“She told Harper that it was good that I was getting help, and that I should go back to work so I have a purpose in life.”

“I don’t know what to say. Are you sure Harper got that right?”

“Why are you discussing me with your assistant? It’s none of her business what I do.”

He put both hands up. “Okay, look. She was out of line talking to Harper, I’ll admit that. But you can’t have it both ways, Char. When you took to your bed all those months, who do you think pitched in to help? It’s only been a couple of months since you’ve been up and around. All I did was let her know I didn’t need her help anymore because you were better.”

Charlotte deflated. He was right. Like it or not, Madison had been there for their family. At the time, she was too numb tocare. But she cared now, and she wanted Madison out of their business.

“You’re right, she has been helpful. But it was inappropriate for her to talk about me to Harper. I don’t want her in our personal business.”

“Of course. Don’t worry.”

“But I do worry. I think we’ve crossed a line. In retrospect, we should have made some other kind of arrangement. And I know I let everything fall on you. But I don’t like that your assistant has been privy to our private life.”

He sighed. “It’s no secret that we’ve been through hell. No one is judging you for—”

“Who said anything about judging me?”

“Don’t twist my words. All I’m saying is that it’s public knowledge what we all went through. I went to some of those support groups with the other families. Everyone has handled this in their own way, and it’s been life altering. So, yeah, in normal circumstances, I’d keep my work and personal life separate. But in this case, it was unavoidable.”

She could never bring herself to go to those groups. Sharing her grief felt like diluting it. She didn’t want to commiserate with the other parents about what they’d lost. Her grief was all she had. It was hers and hers alone, all she had left of Sebastion. Eli was right. Everyone did grieve in their own way. “I see your point. But please talk with her and redefine the boundaries.”

He nodded. “I will.”

She let the subject drop despite still wondering how much Eli had depended on Madison emotionally. She couldn’t help but think about what else Eli had been discussing with Madison. Could anything be going on between the two of them? Were his late nights at the office comprised of more than work?

Madison had worked for Eli at his old company. He hadn’t started his new job until after the accident, so Charlotte hadbeen too shattered to pay much attention. But thinking about it now, it struck her as strange that Eli had hired Madison to work for him at his new firm a year later. Surely she’d already gotten another job.

She had met Madison at Eli’s previous company’s Christmas party four years ago. Madison sauntered up to Charlotte and Eli with a broad smile on her pretty face, her long, dark hair reaching the middle of her back. The red silk dress she wore accentuated her curves in all the right places. “Stunning” was the word that came to Charlotte’s mind. Eli introduced the two of them, and to Charlotte’s surprise, the woman pulled her into a hug.

“I feel like I already know you. Eli talks about you all the time,” she’d gushed.

Charlotte gave her a stiff smile. “So nice to meet you, Madison.”

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