“Which is why I called you.” Eliza turned her black eyes on Aria, the corners of her mouth upturned. Some might say it was a smile, but Aria knew otherwise. Eliza never smiled. And if it was silly to be afraid of a little old lady, then Aria was a fool, because Eliza terrified her.

“Why, exactly?” she asked, dread bubbling in the pit of her stomach with the surety that Eliza hadn’t invited her here purely to help her with a story.

“You have the power to ruin this company with bad publicity. Make it so difficult for them that they decide it’s not worth building here. Turn public opinion against them.”

“Public opinion will already be divided.” As with all change, some people would think of it as an opportunity and some would resist.

“To a certain extent,” Eliza agreed. “But no one outside of Itirangi realizes how special this place is the way it is. You can reach a wider audience than I can. People respect you, Miss Simons. They listen to what you have to say.”

“I want a big story,” Aria said. “I need one, and this could give me a whole mini-series, so thank you for that, but I won’t set out to demonize the developer. If that’s what comes of it, then so be it, but I’ll go wherever the story takes me.”

“Do whatever you can.” Although Eliza’s expression didn’t change, Aria had a sense that Eliza was pleading with her. She had to set her straight. “If I write about this, I can’t promise you what the outcome will be.”

Eliza sighed. “It will have to do.”

Closing her eyes, Aria sucked in a breath. Yes, this might just give her the story she needed, but Eliza’s revelation had wider implications. When Aria returned home to Itirangi after eight years away, she’d envisioned weekends spent kayaking, swimming, or reading in the sun in her quiet backyard. The thought of major companies taking an interest in developing Itirangi had crossed her mind. How could it not, when property prices were soaring, and the hotels were constantly full? But, somehow, she’d convinced herself it wouldn’t really happen. That Itirangi wouldn’t become yet another bustling lakeside tourist town like Queenstown. Not that there was anything wrong with Queenstown, but it was a hive of activity. Aria preferred the laidback lifestyle of her hometown.

She felt sick to her stomach. Mouth dry, she pushed away from the table and stood. “I’ll do some research tonight and should have something to publish in the next couple of days.” Reaching over, she shook Eliza’s hand, conscious that her own felt cold and clammy, then turned and strode toward the exit.