The Ten Percent Settlement

Chapter 4:Sinclair

Grace looked up from her tablet. “You want me to find a woman’s name?”

“A Sinclair. She was at the hotel bar on Fifth two nights ago. She paid for my room when I was there.” Adrian kept his voice even. “I want to thank her. That’s all.”

Grace stared at him for a moment. She had worked for him for nine years and had learned when to question his decisions and when to leave them alone. “You have a hostile takeover forming, someone inside your own circle is feeding information to the man who slept with your wife, and you want me to track down a stranger because she paid for your hotel room?”

“I want to thank her, Grace. Ask around. That’s all.”

Grace sighed and returned to her tablet. “I’ll see what I can find.” The hotel gave him little. Adrian went back himself that afternoon, when the bar was mostly empty, but the concierge who had been working that night refused to give him the woman’s name. “I really can’t give out a guest’s information, Mr. Hale.” “I’m not asking for her account details. I want to send her something. A thank-you.” The concierge seemed to consider that. “I can tell you the reservation was made through Sinclair Holdings. It wasn’t under a personal account.” “Do you know which Sinclair?” Adrian asked. She shook her head. “I’m afraid not. It was paid through the family trust.” That was all she would give him. On the way out, Adrian wondered how many women in the Sinclair family could have used the account. He had never paid much attention to the family beyond their business interests, but he knew enough to understand that the Sinclairs had been wealthy for generations and still controlled a large shipping business.

That evening, Adrian attended a fundraiser he normally would have skipped. He found Preston near the bar and waited until they were alone before asking the question. “Do you know a Sinclair woman? Around thirty, dark green dress, quiet. She was at a hotel bar on Fifth two nights ago.” Preston laughed. “That description could fit several of them.” He thought for a moment. “You might mean Eleanor.” “Eleanor Sinclair?” “Yes. She runs most of the family’s shipping business now. She’s around thirty, maybe thirty-one. Very private. I don’t see her at many of these events.” Preston looked at Adrian with a knowing smile. “Why are you looking for her?” “She helped me when I was drunk. I want to thank her.” “That’s all?” “That’s all.” Preston shrugged. “Then good luck. Eleanor doesn’t usually make time for people she doesn’t know.” Adrian nodded and moved away before Preston could ask anything else. He had finally put a name to the stranger who had helped him, and for the first time since leaving the hotel, he wondered whether he should simply leave it there.

He might have, if he hadn't heard the conversation near the bar. Two men were standing a few feet away, both drunk enough to have stopped watching what they said. Adrian wasn't interested until one of them mentioned the Sinclair family. “I heard the Sinclair girl is caught up in that Whitmore mess too,” the man said. Adrian's attention sharpened. “Distant family, apparently.” The other man laughed. “Whitmore? That's ancient history. Nobody even remembers what happened.” “Somebody does. People have started asking questions again.” The first man lowered his voice. “And I heard it has something to do with Hale's divorce.” Adrian kept his face still. He didn't look at them. He didn't move closer. He simply listened. “You're serious?” the other man asked. “That's what I'm hearing.” Adrian set his glass down. His hand had started to shake, so he closed it around the edge of the table until it stopped.

Eleanor Sinclair. The woman who had found a drunk stranger in a hotel bar, paid for his room, and left without even giving him her name. She hadn't asked who he was. She hadn't asked how much money he had. She hadn't tried to use his situation for anything. As far as Adrian knew, she had simply seen someone who needed help and offered it. Now he was hearing her name beside Whitmore's. Eleven years ago, Adrian had buried the truth about that deal because he believed nobody would ever have a reason to bring it back. Victoria had somehow learned about it. Marcus was attacking Hale Holdings. And now a woman Adrian had met by chance appeared to have a family connection to the same secret. He had wanted to find Eleanor so he could thank her. After what he'd just heard, he knew he needed to find her for another reason. He needed to know what she knew about Whitmore.