“Oh my God, no. He cannot know about the art. He’s got to be caught and arrested. He can’t do this shit to you. Death threats, Ivan? This is just insane what you’re telling me.”

“He is insane. And I really believe that in the literal sense, which is part of the problem. He’s committed a long list of crimes by this point and up till now I’d just dealt with these intrusions via Ethan or on my own. But now, with you here, things are much more complicated. I’m afraid he’ll target you with his fuckery—to get to me, of course—if he knows about you. Which is the main reason I had you sign a non-disclosure before you were in any sort of relationship with me—professional or personal. Do you understand now, Gabrielle, why we need to keep things secret? It’s not for my protection, so much as it is for yours. I—I cannot have this touching you. I’ll not allow it to happen, again. If Park gets his way and discredits me with another scandal, that’ll be the end of things for me.”

“What do you mean? What happens if there’s another scandal, Ivan?” My panic wasn’t really for me so much, but for the hundreds of millions of pounds of art at risk. If this deranged Park Jin-ho gained knowledge of Donadea’s priceless collection, which hadn’t even been through any valuation yet, he’d try to steal it… or destroy it. I wouldn’t allow that to happen.

“Well, it’s damned inconvenient for the PM to have a sitting cabinet minister with sex tapes on a porn site. I imagine if it materializes this time, I’ll no longer be a minister of cabinet. The PM will have to dismiss me whether he wants to or not. I’ll return to the House of Lords and life will go on as it did before. I won’t work in an official capacity in government anymore; it will be the end of my career in senior politics, I suppose. There’ll be no more appointments coming forthwith for Ivan Everley.” He shrugged and looked over out the window at the stars. He seemed very frustrated and so dejected, which bothered me more. I did not like seeing him like this.

“So, what will you do if the worst should happen?”

“Same as before. My position in the upper house is secure unless I formally give it up. Being in the House of Lords is not even a paid position. We get an expense account, of course, for our hours served, but it’s mostly a public service to Britain and for me the legacy of my birthright. I do it because I feel it is my duty, but my work there is not necessary for me to be a fulfilled person. I have other work that does pay the bills, so I’d be free to focus more on those ventures.”

“The breeding of your world famous polo ponies?”

“Yes, among other things. Donadea is a working farm and attached to the grain fields is the brewery in Belfast which produces the beer. Have you ever heard of Hungry Horse Ale?”