ossible. He was on his feet, positi

r said, his voi

ked. "Are you ou

d, get

g to be our

awa

hell do you thi

ed. "Nothing you hav

s hung i

mething raw flashed across his

pped. "I didn't k

I. Not when

er three weeks ago, Asher. You knew exactly who s

dropped.

d the guilt in his eye

as, who my mother was, and you painted me anyway. You let

ands shook as I clutche

let me

anipulated me? That this

this. I painted you because I couldn't stop thinking about you, and yes,

ges ever

ou walk through this party alone, let Dominic tea

rst," Julian

and I turne

ckets, his posture deceptivel

fore you knew anything about her." He looked at me. "I asked you out befo

knew at the party. You knew when

was self-deprecating. "I panicked. I though

er fo

to the room. "But clearly, I'm not

w tightene

n, and the heat in them made my breath c

d and wa

nto the couch, still wrapp

ssed-and more-with two

s wrong

have told you I knew who you were. But everything I sai

hear this right no

ss. Found it crumpled by the

rf

her offered. "It's

in

l. Asher's sharp intake

for what we did. I could never be

to mid-thigh, covered in blue

s out. "You said he was invest

r Cast

nt nothing.

ever since." Asher gathered the scattered papers, handing them to me. "Your father was Castellan's

ellan kil

ut I can't pro

father's name jumping out

ut my father, about m

uiet for a

Sophie. She was investigating Castellan too. For a j

stopped

is hands fisted. "I've been gathering evidence ev

her married

es

d know? Abou

es. "Father doesn't do anything without calculat

tion hit me

e." The words

awyer, explaining that my grandmother had left me mill

Asher said carefully. "

be using her. I'm about to become stepsiblings with three men I've-" I

es

t he wa

oken dress, my shoes, the

ay

him. "I need to thin

ed a phone from his desk drawer. "Burner. My number

hone. Our fi

pered. "I see you, Maya. All of y

alked out before I could do some

y way down stairs, through corr

opene

c step

acket, his shirt unbuttoned at t

Took in Asher's paint-stained shi

on went care

ay

n't handle anoth

y arm as I tried to

your bu

ip tightened. "You're wearin

means n

ay

e and then act possessive. You don't get to ca

aid it was

did. In th

t I regretted it." Dominic steppe

could see the stubble on his j

been d

d came up, tucking a strand of hair behind my e

owe you a

me a

he vulnerability hidi

quietly. "And

kered across D

n more trouble

d me and w

er's phone burning

s the daughter of a woma

as something

toward

g my path, her face pal

ispered. "What