n the booth w

the faint scent of her perfume and the diamond rin

uld feel dozens of pairs of eyes on him, their gazes like tiny needles pricking hi

ow looked anywhere but at him. Carter Sinclair, who knew both him

hock, reached for a napkin.

ay. A raw, guttural so

t o

iliation and rage he couldn't direct at Averie. It

rumpled. "But.

of her. He fumbled for his wallet, pulled out a thick wad o

. And di

humiliation on her face, and scrambled out of the booth. She ran

his firm, cleared his throat. "Preston,

t to his feet, a frantic energy coursing through him. "How

s shaking as he dialed Averie's num

have dialed is

again.

pid-fire ser

ase. Let

take. She me

st do this t

ngle grey checkmark. She'd blocked him. The

brow furrowed. "Preston,

e events of the evening. The anonymous text. Averi

around the room. "Where's Fielding Eve

rter earlier. Said he got tied up in a

Fielding was always conveniently absent when things went

g plans. His offhand remarks about how lucky Preston was to have a woman like

eling washed over hi

umbling about early meetings and tired wive

s shoulder. "Go home, Preston. And maybe call your mother.

s-Stein marriage was supposed to cement, made his stomach turn. T

o pulse with a cold light, mocking him. He snatched it, the metal biting

ad sent him a screenshot. Someone had filmed Averie's exit. The grainy video was already

ration and hurled his phon

had to fix this. Not

stares and whispers that followed him. He got into his Aston Mart

were renovating it. Her parents' place. Th

d white. He would wait for her. He would apologize, be

sing gates of the Stein estate, cutting the

ouse, clinging to the desperate

n another man's car, being drive