Now whenever Wheeler thought about Latham, he couldn't help but feel a simmering resentment. Why did Latham need to get involved with Fallon when he already had a wife and child at home? And after pursuing Fallon, why not give her a real place in his life? In Wheeler's eyes, Latham was betraying both his wife and Fallon, and yet everything still seemed to go perfectly for him. Wheeler's attitude had shifted. He didn't feel loyal to Latham anymore—not after endless conversations with Fallon, who always had plenty to say about Latham's behavior. Now Wheeler was convinced that Latham just wasn't a real man, not someone who deserved a decent family or a successful career.
"All right, you can head out now," Octavia said, her tone cool and businesslike. "From now on, keep an eye out for me. If you see any questionable women trying to get close to Latham, give me a call. You know what they say, a stable family means a stable business. I'm sure you don't want problems at home leading to trouble for the company, right?"
Octavia's message couldn't have been more clear. Wheeler got it right away. He just nodded, not sure what else he could say. "I'll pay attention, don't worry."
Octavia flashed him a small, approving smile and waved him out of the office. As soon as Wheeler finally left, she quickly went over to the door, locked it, and gathered up the envelope and the scattered photos. She tucked everything back inside the envelope, then slid it into her purse-thankfully she'd brought a roomy bag today, and with a little folding, it all fit.
With her secret secured, Octavia plopped down on the sofa and sipped her coffee, trying to look perfectly composed. By the time Latham came out of the conference room, she had her expression calm and poised.
"Octavia, what brings you by today?" Latham asked.
“I hadn't actually planned on coming. I was supposed to play mahjong with
Henrietta, and later we'd arranged to take her daughter and our son out for dinner. The kids were going to meet for the first time," she answered lightly.
Latham grinned. "That sounds great. Where are you all having dinner? Is Mabel going to join you?"
“If Mabel's coming, I'll move my own meetings and come too,” Latham added, sitting down next to her and slipping his arm around her shoulders. "Honey, I really scored having you as my wife."
Octavia let herself lean against him, letting the moment look
picture-perfect. "I haven't spent
much time with Mabel, but if t
and Henrietta can build a good relationship, it makes it way more likely for our families to team up. Then our companies could work together so much better."
Latham genuinely appreciated Octavia's talent in these areas. She wasn't like those other women who only cared about mahjong,
shopping, or luxury spas- inot
who only loved to spend their husband's money. With Octavia keeping the family affairs in check Latham's life got a whole lot easier. That was why, through all these years, he never thought of leaving her and always treated her so well. He felt like their partnership just worked. Any other woman simply wouldn't do.
"I don't think Mabel's going. It's just Henrietta, me, and the kids. If you came, it'd feel too official—like a business dinner, not a family get-together," Octavia said, giving him a knowing look.
Latham chuckled and relaxed. "All right, then I'll skip it. I've got my own business dinner tonight anyway. I'll just wait for you to come home and tell me how it went."
He really wasn't bothered. Good things took time and he knew there was no reason to rush. There was every chance that the two families could end up united. Mabel was her family's only daughter and a merger would be a huge win for the James family.
"Oh, by the way-did I hear that your old schoolmate took a part-time job at our
company?" Octavia asked casually, still holding her coffee.
"What's the deal? Is she short on cash or something?"