out a word. Not

itting across from me in my office the morning after with his coffee untouched and his expression carefull

consider that a c

and my hands in my pockets and I could not stop thinking about it. "She had it s

a while and last night just gave

end of books. She once cried because a stray cat outside our building looked cold." I stopped. "S

r a long moment. "Why

ng. I rehearsed my responses in the car on the way home. I had a whole architecture of answers ready. And she had taken all of it away from me by simply p

s the papers

yed on me a beat too long befo

ith our legal team about a contract dispute that had been dragging on for four months. I was present for none of it in any way that matt

ed you when relationships ended. She had probably been mentally preparing

father

rd Cole said the moment I answered

travel

I'm glad it's done. Vivienne called me

w she'

ways got when he was telling me what to do and calling it a suggestion. "The Cole name

I had thought it myself in quieter moments but hearing my fa

e my own li

eave Elena Marsh alone. Whatever she does ne

signed divorce papers. Walking away was the entire point. But

about appearances, about the Cole name and what served it. Telling me to le

aid and end

e difference between him being controlling, which was constant, and him being careful, which was rare. That call

led A

ckground and the kind of easy energy that had always made me slight

band," he said. "

ena had a bag pa

. "No. How woul

ust as

s voice shifted.

owledging the divorce was that Vivienne is back and I shoul

ike that? Lea

for

e. "That's a weird thing to say

what I t

knows somethin

he felt he needed to say it." I leaned back in my chair. "I want you to do s

I looki

mily. Her parents. Anything that looks like it was arran

moment. "That's a speci

kno

d is involved

becomes something I can't manage." I loo

can do it. But you're not going

new the ans

ind it,