- 7 weeks ago
General Hospital Spoilers _ Carly Uncovers Ronnie’s Shocking Secret — The Scam I
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00:11Carly's day had already been chaotic before the storm hit her full force.
00:16She had spent the morning juggling calls between the Metro court staff, talking to Sunny about Donna's school schedule, and dealing with yet another cryptic text from Michael about ELQ.
00:25Everything felt normal, or as normal as things ever got in Port Charles.
00:30But normal was about to shatter in one single, breathtaking moment.
00:35Carly had always trusted her instincts, and something about Ronnie just hadn't sat right with her from the start.
00:41His charm was practiced, his words rehearsed, and the way he always seemed to know just enough about everyone's business felt off.
00:48Still, she had pushed the thought aside for weeks, thinking maybe she was just being paranoid after all the years of betrayal, deceit, and heartbreak she'd endured.
00:56But now, standing in her office at the Metro court, holding a folder she wasn't supposed to see, Carly realized her instincts had been right all along.
01:05The folder had been left behind by accident, or so she thought.
01:09It was marked with nothing more than a simple RC scribbled across the front.
01:14She hadn't meant to snoop, but curiosity had always been her weakness.
01:19When she opened it, her blood ran cold.
01:21Inside were copies of forged invoices, fake bank transfers, and, most damning of all, emails connecting Ronnie to a known con artist in Miami.
01:31Carly's heart pounded as she flipped through each page, every line confirming what she'd started to fear.
01:36Ronnie wasn't who he said he was.
01:39He wasn't some reformed investor looking for partnership opportunities.
01:42He was running a scam, and he'd been using her hotel as the perfect cover.
01:48Son of a—she whispered under her breath, her hand trembling slightly as she set the papers down.
01:54The door suddenly opened behind her, and she jumped.
01:58Ronnie stepped inside with that same easy smile, the kind that had fooled so many others before.
02:03Hey, Carly!
02:04You look tense, he said smoothly, his tone light, casual.
02:10But Carly's eyes narrowed.
02:12Cut the act, Ronnie, she said sharply.
02:15I know everything.
02:18He froze, his smile faltering for just a moment before he tried to recover.
02:23Everything?
02:24I'm not sure what you mean.
02:27Carly grabbed the folder and tossed it onto the desk in front of him.
02:31Don't play dumb with me.
02:32I know who you really are, and I know what you've been doing.
02:37Ronnie's jaw tightened.
02:39He looked at the folder, then back at her, and the mask slipped completely.
02:44Gone was the fake warmth.
02:46In its place was cold calculation.
02:49You shouldn't have gone through my things, he said quietly.
02:53Carly laughed bitterly.
02:55Oh, please!
02:57You shouldn't have used me or my hotel to launder money through your scam operation.
03:01Did you really think I wouldn't find out?
03:04You picked the wrong woman, Ronnie.
03:07I've seen men like you before.
03:10You smile, you promise, you lie, and you think everyone around you is too stupid to catch on.
03:16Ronnie stepped closer, lowering his voice.
03:19Careful, Carly.
03:21You're making accusations you can't prove.
03:25Carly smirked, defiant.
03:26Oh, I can prove it.
03:29And you know what else?
03:32I already sent copies of this to the PCPD.
03:35That wasn't true, at least, not yet.
03:39But it was enough to make him blink.
03:42Ronnie's temper flared, his voice rising.
03:45You have no idea what you're getting yourself into.
03:48Carly's tone turned sharp as glass.
03:51Actually, I think I do.
03:54You're a liar, Ronnie.
03:56You came here with a fake name, fake credentials, and you thought you could take advantage of me and my business.
04:03Well, guess what?
04:05You're done.
04:06She moved toward the door, ready to call for hotel security, but Ronnie reached out, grabbing her arm.
04:13Don't do this, he hissed.
04:15Carly yanked her arm free, glaring.
04:18Let go of me.
04:20The tension in the air was electric, the kind that only years of betrayal and survival could breed.
04:26You think you can scare me?
04:29Carly spat.
04:30I've dealt with mobsters, kidnappers, and psychopaths.
04:34You?
04:36You're just a cheap con who got caught.
04:39There was a knock on the door, sudden and loud.
04:42Ronnie tensed, but Carly didn't flinch.
04:45Come in, she shouted.
04:48The door opened, and Drew walked in, his expression instantly changing as he took in the scene.
04:53Everything okay here?
04:55He asked carefully.
04:57Carly didn't miss a beat.
04:59Perfect timing, she said, crossing her arms.
05:03Why don't you tell Drew here who you really are, Ronnie?
05:07Ronnie glanced between them, trying to find a way out.
05:09This isn't what it looks like, Drew stepped forward, his posture protective.
05:15It looks like Carly just caught you in something you shouldn't be doing.
05:19You want to explain?
05:21Ronnie exhaled, clearly realizing he was outnumbered.
05:25You people think you know everything.
05:28But you don't know what you're dealing with.
05:31Carly raised an eyebrow.
05:33Try me.
05:34Ronnie's tone turned desperate, almost mocking.
05:38You think this is just about me?
05:41You have no idea how deep this goes.
05:44You're poking at something you can't control.
05:47Drew's expression hardened.
05:50Save the threats.
05:52We'll let the cops figure it out.
05:53He reached for his phone, but Ronnie suddenly lunged, knocking the device out of his hand.
06:00Carly gasped as the phone hit the floor.
06:03Stop, she yelled, but Ronnie pushed past Drew, heading for the door.
06:08Drew grabbed him, the two struggling briefly before Ronnie broke free and ran out of the office.
06:13Call the PCPD.
06:15Drew barked, but Carly was already on it, dialing as her adrenaline surged.
06:20By the time the police arrived, Ronnie was gone.
06:24Dante was the first through the door, gun holstered but eyes sharp.
06:28What happened, he demanded.
06:31Carly handed him the folder, her voice still shaking slightly.
06:35That's what happened.
06:37Ronnie's not who he says he is.
06:40He's been using the metro court to run a money laundering scheme.
06:43I caught him, and he bolted.
06:46Dante flipped through the folder quickly, his frown deepening.
06:50Yeah, this matches some stuff we've been seeing in other cases.
06:55You did good, Carly.
06:57We'll find him.
06:59Carly nodded, trying to steady her breathing.
07:02I want that man caught, Dante.
07:05I want him behind bars.
07:07As Dante left to organize a search, Drew placed a hand on her shoulder.
07:13You okay?
07:14Carly exhaled, her usual strength flickering but not fading.
07:19Yeah.
07:20Just angry.
07:22I trusted him.
07:23Not personally, but enough to let him close.
07:27I should've known better.
07:30Drew shook his head.
07:32Don't blame yourself.
07:34Guys like that, they make a living off fooling people.
07:38You saw through it before it got worse.
07:40That's what matters.
07:43Carly gave a small smile.
07:45Thanks, but I'm still kicking myself.
07:48I should've listened to my gut sooner.
07:51Drew smirked.
07:53Your gut saved the day.
07:55Don't forget that.
07:57Later that evening, Carly sat alone at the bar of the Metro Court, staring at a glass of
08:02wine she hadn't touched.
08:04The lights were dim, the world outside quiet, but her mind was anything but.
08:09She kept replaying the moment Ronnie's mask slipped, that flash of anger in his eyes when
08:13he realized the game was over.
08:15She'd seen that look before, in Nellie, in Nina, in every person who had ever underestimated
08:20her.
08:21You picked the wrong woman, she muttered under her breath.
08:25Sam approached from behind, sliding into the seat next to her.
08:29I heard what happened, she said softly.
08:33You okay?
08:34Carly sighed.
08:36I will be.
08:38I just can't believe I let another liar into my orbit.
08:42You'd think I'd learn.
08:44Sam smiled faintly.
08:46You can't blame yourself for trusting people, Carly.
08:50That's not weakness, that's hope.
08:53And it's what separates you from them.
08:55Carly laughed a little, shaking her head.
08:58You sound like Jason.
09:01Sam's expression softened.
09:03Yeah.
09:05He'd tell you the same thing I'm telling you right now.
09:07You handled it exactly how you needed to.
09:10You got ahead of it.
09:12You ended the scam.
09:14You protected your business.
09:17Carly looked down at her wine, swirling it slowly.
09:20You know what's funny?
09:23For a second, I thought maybe Ronnie really was trying to turn his life around.
09:26He talked about second chances like he understood them.
09:31Guess I was wrong.
09:33Sam put a comforting hand on her arm.
09:36You weren't wrong to hope.
09:38But you were right to act.
09:41Across town, Dante's team finally tracked Ronnie's car to a warehouse near the docks.
09:45When they cornered him, Ronnie tried one last desperate move, but it was over quickly.
09:51Within the hour, Dante called Carly to tell her the news, Ronnie had been arrested, and
09:56the scam was officially ended.
09:58Carly listened quietly, relief washing over her.
10:01Good, she said finally.
10:04Make sure he knows he messed with the wrong woman.
10:08Dante chuckled softly.
10:10Oh, I think he figured that out a long time ago.
10:13When she hung up, Carly leaned back in her chair, letting the tension finally drain from
10:18her shoulders.
10:19For once, the storm had passed, and this time, she'd won.
10:23The next morning, she met Drew again in the lobby, where the staff were already buzzing
10:28about the story.
10:29Looks like your instincts paid off, Drew said.
10:33Carly smiled, more confident now.
10:36They usually do.
10:38I just need to remember to trust them sooner.
10:42Drew grinned.
10:43So what's next?
10:45Carly smirked.
10:47Next?
10:49I rebuild.
10:51Clean up the mess.
10:52And make sure no one ever tries to pull something like that again.
10:57Drew nodded approvingly.
10:59Sounds like the Carly I know.
11:01She gave a small laugh.
11:04Yeah.
11:05The scam is over.
11:07But I'm not done fighting, not by a long shot.
11:11By afternoon, she stood outside on the terrace overlooking the Port Charles skyline, the crisp
11:15airbrushing against her skin.
11:18She thought about everything she'd been through, every lie, every heartbreak,
11:22every betrayal.
11:23Yet here she was, still standing, still unbreakable.
11:27You can't fool me forever, she whispered to the empty sky, her tone fierce and calm at
11:32once.
11:33Because I always find the truth.
11:36And as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting golden light over the city, Carly Carintho's
11:40knew one thing for certain, Ronnie's scam was ended, but her story was far from over.
11:45The air in Carly's penthouse was always a specific kind of still, a quiet earn through
11:49years of tumult and paid for with a fortune built on equal parts savvy, inheritance, and
11:54sheer, unadulterated force of will.
11:57This morning, the stillness felt different.
12:00It was no longer peaceful but pregnant, a held breath before a storm.
12:05Sunlight streamed through the expansive windows, illuminating dust motes dancing in the beams,
12:09each speck a tiny, chaotic world oblivious to the seismic shift about to occur in this
12:13one.
12:15Carly sat at her marble-topped kitchen island, a half-empty mug of coffee cooling between
12:19her palms.
12:20She was scrolling idly through her tablet, a mindless ritual of checking emails, social
12:25media, and the Port Charles online gossip column, The Invader.
12:29It was a habit born of both boredom and a deeply ingrained need to always know the playing
12:33field.
12:35Her life, for the moment, was in a rare state of equilibrium.
12:39Her children were safe, her business, the Metro Court, was thriving under her and her
12:43best friend Bobby's stewardship, and the usual villains that plagued her existence seemed,
12:47for once, to be at bay.
12:50Then she saw it.
12:52It wasn't a headline.
12:54It was a small, almost innocuous photo buried in a gallery of pictures from a charity gala
12:59in Zurich.
13:00The caption read,
13:01Philanthropist Arthur Reinhardt and his wife, Gisela, at the annual Hope Foundation Ball.
13:07The man in the photo was older, his hair a distinguished silver, his posture ramrod straight
13:12in a tailored tuxedo.
13:13He was smiling, a polite, polished smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
13:19And his eyes!
13:21Carly leaned forward, her breath catching in her throat.
13:24She zoomed in, her thumb and forefinger stretching the image on the screen until the pixels began
13:29to blur.
13:31Those eyes!
13:32She knew those eyes!
13:34They were a shade of blue so pale they were almost gray, like a winter sky just before a
13:39snowstorm.
13:40They were eyes that could convey warmth and charm, but held, in their depths, a chilling
13:44calculation.
13:46She had seen them twinkle with faint affection, narrow in mock concern, and soften with lies
13:50so beautifully crafted they felt like truths.
13:53They were the eyes of the man she knew as Ronnie Kessler.
13:57Her Ronnie!
13:58The man who had swept into her life six months ago, a seemingly humble and kind-hearted investor
14:03from Buffalo.
14:04He'd been introduced through a mutual acquaintance at the club, a casual meeting that had quickly
14:09blossomed into something more.
14:12He was different from the other men in her world.
14:15He wasn't a mobster, a scheming doctor, or a corporate raider.
14:19He was normal.
14:22Stable.
14:23He listened to her, he remembered the little things, how she took her coffee, the name of
14:27her first childhood dog, the song that was playing when she shared her first dance with
14:31Sunny at the Jake.
14:32He was a port in the storm of her life, a calm, steady presence who made her feel seen and
14:37cherished, not as a Carinthas or a Quartermain, but as Carly.
14:41And now, he was staring back at her from a society photo in Zurich under a different name.
14:47A cold dread, sharp as a shard of ice, began to spread from her core.
14:51This is a mistake, she told herself.
14:54A doppelganger.
14:55A weird, cosmic coincidence.
14:59Ronnie had mentioned a cousin in Europe, maybe that was it.
15:03But the resemblance wasn't just passing, it was exact.
15:07The line of his jaw, the slight crook in his nose that he said came from a college basketball
15:11injury, the way his left eyebrow arched just a fraction higher than his right.
15:16Her fingers flew across the tablet, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped
15:20bird.
15:21She typed Arthur Reinhardt Zurich into the search engine.
15:25The results flooded the screen.
15:28Business articles, philanthropic reports, society pages.
15:32He was a real estate magnate, a major player in European commercial development.
15:38There were more photos, him cutting a ribbon at a new skyscraper in Berlin, shaking hands
15:42with politicians in Vienna, sailing on a yacht off the coast of Monaco.
15:46In every single one, he was Ronnie.
15:49But it was the timeline that shattered her last vestige of denial.
15:54An article from a German financial paper, dated just three weeks ago, detailed Reinhardt's
15:58keynote speech at an economic forum in Frankfurt.
16:02Three weeks ago.
16:04Ronnie had been in Port Charles.
16:06He'd taken her to dinner at the Metro Court.
16:09He'd complained about a tedious conference call with his backers in Buffalo that had run
16:14late.
16:15He'd been here, in her home, in her bed, while his photograph was being taken in a boardroom
16:194,000 miles away.
16:22The scam is ended.
16:24The phrase surfaced in her mind, not as a thought, but as a verdict.
16:28It was a line from some long-forgotten poem, but it felt like an epitaph carved onto the tombstone
16:33of her trust.
16:35A wave of nausea washed over her.
16:36She stumbled from the stool, the tablet clattering onto the marble, the screen cracking in a
16:42spiderweb of lines, a perfect mirror of the fractures now racing through her heart.
16:47She braced herself against the cool countertop, her head spinning.
16:51The memories, once so sweet, now curdled in her mind, revealing their rotten core.
16:57Their first meeting.
16:59Had he sought her out?
17:00Of course he had.
17:02The introduction hadn't been random.
17:06It had been staged.
17:08His investment advice.
17:10He'd been so supportive of her plans to expand the MetroCourts brand.
17:15He'd reviewed her financials, offered suggestions, pointed out areas where she could leverage her
17:19assets.
17:21She had given him access, so much access.
17:24The loan.
17:25A month ago, she'd needed a quick infusion of capital to secure a prime piece of real estate
17:30for a new hotel venture.
17:33The banks were moving too slowly.
17:35Ronnie, her wonderful, reliable Ronnie, had offered to front the money.
17:40It's what partners do, he'd said, his hand covering hers, his winter sky eyes full of
17:45sincerity.
17:47She'd signed the papers, trusting him implicitly.
17:50Two million dollars.
17:52She'd transferred it from her account to the shell company he'd specified just last week.
17:57She felt the blood drain from her face.
18:00She ran to her home office, yanking open filing cabinets, her hands trembling so violently
18:05she could barely grasp the folders.
18:08She found the loan agreement.
18:10She read it now with new eyes, not the eyes of a woman in love, but the eyes of a businesswoman
18:15who had been conned before.
18:16The language was dense, legalese designed to obfuscate.
18:21But there, buried in the clauses, was the trap.
18:25The repayment terms were punitive, the collateral wasn't just the new venture, but her stake in
18:29the metro court itself.
18:31If she defaulted, and the conditions for default were numerous and easily triggered, he could
18:36seize control of her hotel.
18:38Her hotel.
18:40The place she had built from the ground up, the symbol of her independence, her sanctuary.
18:44A sob tore from her throat, but it was quickly stifled by a surge of pure, unadulterated rage.
18:52It was a familiar feeling, this fire in her veins.
18:55It had saved her before, it had destroyed things before.
18:59Now, it was the only thing holding the devastating herd at bay.
19:04She needed proof.
19:06Absolute, irrefutable proof.
19:08She picked up her phone, her thumb hovering over Sonny's number.
19:13He would know what to do.
19:15He had resources, men who could dig into the shadows and pull out the truth.
19:20But she hesitated.
19:22Involving Sonny would be a declaration of war, and wars with Sonny Corinthos were messy,
19:27bloody affairs.
19:27She needed to look Ronnie, no, Arthur, in the eye and see the moment he realized the game
19:39was up.
19:41She called Jason Morgan instead.
19:43He was calm, methodical, and utterly discreet.
19:47Jason, I need you, she said, her voice surprisingly steady.
19:52I need you to look into someone.
19:54His name is Ronnie Kessler.
19:57Or Arthur Reinhardt.
19:59I think.
20:00I think I've made a terrible mistake.
20:04An hour later, Jason was in her penthouse, his presence a silent anchor in her raging sea
20:08of emotions.
20:10He listened as she laid it all out, the photo, the articles, the loan documents.
20:15He didn't interrupt, didn't offer platitudes.
20:18He simply absorbed the information, his blue eyes growing colder and harder with each passing
20:23detail.
20:25I'll make some calls, he said finally, his voice a low, reassuring rumble.
20:29I know people in Europe.
20:32We'll get the confirmation you need.
20:35While Jason worked his contacts, Carly paced.
20:39The beautiful, spacious penthouse felt like a gilded cage.
20:43Every object, every piece of furniture, seemed tainted by Ronnie's presence.
20:48The vase of fresh lilies on the console table, he'd brought them for her yesterday.
20:52The book on the nightstand, he'd recommended it.
20:56The faint, lingering scent of his cologne in the air.
21:00It was all a lie, a carefully constructed set designed for her downfall.
21:04Her phone buzzed.
21:06A text from Ronnie.
21:09Thinking of you.
21:10Dinner tonight?
21:11I have a surprise for you.
21:15The casual intimacy of the message made her stomach lurch.
21:18The surprise.
21:20What was it?
21:22The final act of the con?
21:24The triggering of the default clause?
21:27The presentation of documents that would strip her of her company?
21:31She saw it all now with a horrifying clarity.
21:34He hadn't just been after her money, he'd been after her legacy, her pride, the very things
21:39that defined her.
21:41He had studied her, learned her vulnerabilities, and had crafted a persona designed specifically
21:46to exploit them.
21:47He had made her believe she was loved, and in doing so, had made her willingly hand over
21:52the keys to her kingdom.
21:53Jason's phone rang, cutting through the thick silence.
21:58He answered, speaking in low, terse sentences.
22:02I see.
22:03And you're sure?
22:05The photograph?
22:07Yes.
22:08Send everything to me.
22:11He hung up and looked at Carly, his expression grim.
22:14It's him.
22:16Arthur Reinhardt.
22:18He's a known entity in certain circles.
22:20Not a violent criminal, but a con artist of the highest order.
22:25He specializes in long cons on wealthy, high-profile women.
22:30He creates a fake identity, builds a relationship, gains their trust, and then systematically plunders
22:35their assets.
22:37He's done it in London, Paris, and Hong Kong.
22:40The authorities have been after him for years, but he's meticulous.
22:44He always disappears before the final act, leaving his victims financially and emotionally
22:49ruined.
22:51Carly sank onto the sofa, the strength gone from her legs.
22:55Hearing it confirmed, laid out in Jason's unadorned facts, made it real in a way her own panic
23:00had not.
23:01She was not a woman in a relationship, she was a mark.
23:05She was the latest victim on a long, global list.
23:09The loan, she whispered.
23:11It's a setup for a default, isn't it?
23:15Jason nodded.
23:16Almost certainly.
23:17My contact said Reinhardt's signature move is to engineer a situation where the victim
23:23is unable to meet a sudden, unexpected repayment demand, giving him legal grounds to seize the
23:27collateral.
23:29He's a ghost.
23:30By the time the lawyers get involved, Ronnie Kessler no longer exists.
23:35The rage returned, hotter and more focused than before.
23:39She would not be another name on his list.
23:43She would not be another ruined woman weeping over her lost fortune.
23:47This was Port Charles.
23:49Her city.
23:50She was Carly Corinthos, and she had been forged in fires far hotter than this.
23:56He's meeting me for dinner tonight, she said, her voice dangerously calm.
24:01He has a surprise for me.
24:03Well, I have a surprise for him, too.
24:07Carly, Jason said, a note of warning in his tone.
24:10Let me handle this.
24:13We can have the papers voided.
24:15We can make him disappear.
24:17No, she said, standing up, her eyes blazing with a terrifying light.
24:22This ends my way.
24:25He looked me in the eye and lied to me.
24:27He made me believe, he made me feel, she shook her head, cutting off the wave of vulnerability.
24:33I want to see his face when he knows that I know.
24:37I want to be the one who ends the scam.
24:40The hours until dinner were a study in controlled fury.
24:44Carly moved through her penthouse with a single-minded purpose.
24:48She canceled her appointments, telling her assistant she was ill.
24:52She changed out of her comfortable clothes and into a sharp, black designer dress, armor for the battle to come.
24:58She applied her makeup with a steady hand, her reflection in the mirror showing a mask of cool composure.
25:04Only her eyes, dark and glittering with a storm of betrayal and wrath, gave her away.
25:09She chose the venue carefully.
25:12Not the metro court, her home turf, which would feel too much like an ambush and might give him a chance to flee.
25:18Instead, she suggested the Portofino, an elegant, intimate restaurant on the waterfront.
25:24It was neutral ground, but it was also public.
25:27She wanted witnesses for the final act.
25:31She needed the humiliation to be as complete for him as it had been for her.
25:36Jason insisted on being nearby.
25:39He would be at the bar, just another patron, but close enough to intervene if things turned ugly.
25:44Carly agreed, not because she feared Ronnie, but because she respected the fact that a cornered animal was unpredictable.
25:52At 7.30 p.m., she walked into the Portofino.
25:55The maitre d greeted her by name and led her to a secluded table with a view of the harbor lights twinkling on the dark water.
26:01It was a romantic spot, a choice she had made in a different lifetime, when she was still a woman in love.
26:08Now, it felt like a stage.
26:11She ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio and waited.
26:14Her heart was a steady, heavy drumbeat in her chest.
26:18She rehearsed the words in her mind.
26:21She would be calm.
26:23She would be in control.
26:25She would dismantle him piece by piece.
26:28He was five minutes late.
26:30She saw him enter the restaurant, his eyes scanning the room until they found her.
26:35He smiled, that easy, charming smile that had once made her feel so safe.
26:40He was carrying a small, gift-wrapped box.
26:44The surprise.
26:46Nausea threatened again, but she swallowed it down, forcing a small, tight smile onto her own lips.
26:52Carly, you look stunning, he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek.
26:56She turned her head slightly at the last moment, so his lips brushed the air next to her ear.
27:02He seemed not to notice, sliding into the chair opposite her.
27:06Sorry, I'm late.
27:08Last-minute business.
27:10Oh, she said, her voice smooth as glass.
27:14Anything important?
27:15Just tying up some loose ends, he said, waving a dismissive hand.
27:21He placed the gift box on the table between them.
27:24But enough about that.
27:26I've been looking forward to this all day.
27:29The waiter came, and Ronnie ordered a scotch, neat.
27:33He made small talk, asking about her day, commenting on the weather.
27:37Carly answered in monosyllables, her gaze fixed on him, studying him as if he were a specimen under a microscope.
27:45She could see it now, the subtle artifice in his charm.
27:49The way his smile never fully engaged the muscles around his eyes.
27:53The practiced cadence of his questions.
27:56How had she ever missed it?
27:58You're quiet tonight, my love, he said, reaching across the table to take her hand.
28:03She pulled her hand back, placing it in her lap.
28:07I have a lot on my mind.
28:09His smile faltered for a fraction of a second.
28:13Anything I can help with?
28:15Actually, she said, leaning forward, her elbows on the table, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
28:22There is.
28:24I was doing some research today for the new hotel.
28:27Looking at international design trends.
28:29And I came across the most fascinating man.
28:34Ronnie's expression remained placid, but a new weariness entered his pale eyes.
28:39Oh.
28:40Yes.
28:42A man named Arthur Reinhardt.
28:44A real estate mogul from Zurich.
28:47Quite the philanthropist, apparently.
28:50She took a sip of her wine, watching him over the rim of the glass.
28:54Have you ever heard of him?
28:56The shift was infinitesimal.
28:58A slight tightening of the skin around his mouth.
29:02A barely perceptible stillness in his posture.
29:06Reinhardt?
29:07The name doesn't ring a bell.
29:10European market is a different world.
29:13Isn't it, though?
29:15Carly agreed pleasantly.
29:18The funny thing is, he looks exactly like you.
29:21It's uncanny.
29:23Same eyes.
29:25Same jawline.
29:26Even that little crook in his nose.
29:30She tilted her head.
29:32You did say you had a cousin in Europe, didn't you?
29:35Maybe you're related.
29:37The charm was draining from his face, replaced by a careful neutrality.
29:41It's a big continent, Carly.
29:45Lots of people.
29:47Coincidences happen.
29:49They do, she nodded.
29:51But this one is quite a coincidence.
29:54Because Arthur Reinhardt was in Frankfurt three weeks ago, giving a speech.
29:58And you were here, with me.
30:02Which is impossible, unless, she let the word hang in the air between them.
30:06Ronnie said nothing.
30:08He took a slow sip of his scotch, his eyes never leaving hers.
30:13The mask was beginning to crack.
30:16She could see the calculations whirring behind those winter sky eyes, reassessing the situation,
30:20plotting a new course.
30:22Unless, Carly continued, her voice losing its pleasant tone and turning to steel,
30:27Ronnie Kessler doesn't exist.
30:29He placed his glass down with a quiet, precise click.
30:33Carly, I don't know what you think you've found, or what nonsense someone has been filling
30:37your head with, but this is ridiculous.
30:40Is it?
30:41She reached into her clutch and pulled out her phone.
30:45With a few taps, she brought up the cracked screen, displaying the photo of Arthur Reinhardt
30:49at the Zurich Gala.
30:51She slid it across the tablecloth toward him.
30:54Is it ridiculous, Arthur?
30:56The use of his real name was the detonator.
31:00The last vestiges of Ronnie Kessler evaporated.
31:03The man sitting across from her was colder, harder, his affable demeanor replaced by a chilly
31:08impatience.
31:09The transformation was terrifying.
31:13It was like watching a friendly neighbor peel off his face to reveal a stranger beneath.
31:18He didn't look at the phone.
31:20He didn't need to.
31:22He simply looked at her, and for the first time, she saw the real him.
31:26The con artist.
31:28The predator.
31:29The predator.
31:29The predator.
31:30The predator.
31:30The predator.
31:30The predator.
31:30The predator.
31:30The predator.
31:31The predator.
31:31The predator.
31:31The predator.
31:31The predator.
31:31The predator.
31:32The predator.
31:32The predator.
31:32The predator.
31:32The predator.
31:32The predator.
31:33The predator.
31:33The predator.
31:33The predator.
31:34The predator.
31:34The predator.
31:34The predator.
31:35The predator.
31:35The predator.
31:36The predator.
31:36The predator.
31:36The predator.
31:37The predator.
31:37The predator.
31:38The predator.
31:39The predator.
31:40The predator.
31:41The predator.
31:42The predator.
31:43The predator.
31:44The predator.
31:45The predator.
31:46The predator.
31:47The predator.
31:48The predator.
31:49The predator.
31:50The predator.
31:51The predator.
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