So Giovanni braced himself for just about anything as he moved into the lounge, finding only Everett at the island, sipping coffee. Marie was cooking. Freja was on the veranda, sitting at the small table that caught an hour of sunlight when beams angled into the valley, low and bright, first thing in the morning.
“Are Mummy and Daddy still fighting? Or have you kissed and made up?”
“You and I have had a good run, Everett. Don’t ruin it by making me kill you.” Giovanni smiled at Marie. “We’ll eat outside with Freja.”
“Freja is on a call with her intended,” Everett supplied. “He wanted proof of life or he was going to provide these coordinates to anyone who would listen.”
Giovanni shot him one dour look, then smoothly headed outside.
“—feel obliged to give it back,” Nels was saying.
“You will not,” Freja said firmly. “The financial side of our agreement stands. You’ll still have a job, too.” She flicked a defiant stare at Giovanni. “I won’t stand for anything less considering the emotional distress you’re enduring with the press right now.”
“My concern is for you. You’re definitely safe?”
“Completely. And I’ll explain better once I’m back in New York. I’m really sorry for drawing you into this.” Moments later, she ended the call and handed the device back to Everett, saying coolly to Giovanni, “I didn’t have the skills to keep all that you’ve built from falling apart. Nels took it on in good faith and I expect you to reward him accordingly.”
“About that. If he behaves himself and doesn’t fight my retaking ownership, then yes, I will happily keep him on. But you and I are staying married until all the i’s are dotted and t’s crossed. If you want to divorce me after that, and sue me for more than what’s in your prenup, that’s fine, but I didn’t amass this fortune by trusting blindly.”
“No, it appears you built a lot of it by preying on other people’s trust.” She sent a critical glance at Everett and the house as she picked up her coffee and sipped.
“Giovanni assured me that you wouldn’t expose our classified activities. Yesterday’s video broke the internet so we have a lot of explaining ahead of us. Can we count on you?”
“I don’t know. Let me check with my handlers in Pyongyang.”
“Bidduzza.” Giovanni took her hand and gave it an admonishing squeeze. “How many people did you tell that you believed I was alive?”
“Just Nels. And I only asked if he thought it was worth my hiring a private investigator to look into whether you could be alive, since I’d been given ashes and a death certificate, but hadn’t seen your body. He said I was having trouble accepting my loss.”
“Did you tell him or anyone else that the ring had been stolen?”
“No. They would have said I misplaced it since the rest of the jewelry was still there. But it made me wonder why you’d gone into hiding. For instance, if you were in financial trouble, you would have stolen the jewels to square off with your creditors. If you were being chased by the law, you would have made a better effort to take money with you, not leave so much to me.”
She glanced at the house again, perhaps rightly deducing that he had as much money off the books as he did on. He had plans to donate this and other properties like it to amputees and other charities. He wasn’t a tax dodger, but he could clarify that another time.
“It felt a lot like you were hiding from me, especially after we had that awful fight, but it seemed a pretty drastic way to end things.” The line of her mouth wavered and her brow crinkled. “The most logical conclusion was that you disappeared to protect your life, in which case it made sense to act as though I believed you were dead. Getting engaged seemed to reinforce that illusion and since Nels was willing to take over your business interests and I happen to trust him, he made a good choice.”
Giovanni had taken one look at the engagement announcement and had nearly thrown himself off this veranda. Not once had it occurred to him that she’d done it out of concern for him.
“Also, I thought if I made this production of a marriage, you would either show up or you wouldn’t.” Her mouth pursed in dismay. “At least I would know where we stood.”
“And I’m the fool for thinking she had the capacity to be an operative?” Everett scoffed. “Freja, darling, how would you like an extremely well-paying career that provides ample opportunity for travel? Because I know people who would love to meet you.”
“Don’t. You. Dare,” Giovanni said from between his teeth.
“But she could be so helpful when she goes back to North Korea,” Everett said. “Does he know you’ve been looking into that?”
Giovanni’s heart stopped. “No, he does not know that. What the hell, Freja?”
“You’re worried about whether you can trust me?” she asked Everett, splaying an outraged hand on her chest.
“I’m going to get more coffee.” Everett rose. “Nels is gay, by the way.” He patted Giovanni’s shoulder. “Deep in the closet, but super gay.”
“What a horrible person! I know it was you who stole the ring. I can tell by your cologne,” she called to Everett’s retreating back, looking at the chair he’d vacated and left askew. “And the fact you didn’t push the chair in at the desk.”
Everett was gone and she sat back with a disgruntled look.
“Are you out of your mind? You’re not going back to North Korea.” Giovanni’s riches could accomplish many things, but he doubted he could get her out of there again. Not without costs that were higher than monetary ones. “Just because you were treated well the first time does not mean they would roll out the red carpet if you returned. For God’s sake, Freja! At best you’d wind up in a work camp.”
“I didn’t have you, I didn’t have our baby. Sung-mi and Byung-woo are the only family I have left. Don’t judge me for wanting to see them.”
“I don’t. But you have me now.”
She flinched and looked to the far side of the valley, profile troubled.
Time, he thought with frustration. They had never had it, they needed it now, and he didn’t want to wait. He wanted everything put right between them. Now.
“Everett might be able to call in some favors and make some inquiries. He’s worth having on your side.”
“Are you trying to bribe me to keep my mouth shut? I won’t say a thing about you and your dumb spy games. You don’t have to threaten Sung-mi and Nels, either.”
“That’s not what this is.”