like a caged animal, her ner

truly terrified her. Whoever was behind the anonymous number wasn't ju

He was colder now, more distant-his anger a frozen wall she cou

coul

eeply, she'd sworn never to revisit it. But it wa

apped tightly around her waist. Her phone sat on th

it

early knockin

wn Nu

g, she answered

lied: "Tick-tock, Elena. Truth has a funny way of surf

anything about h

I? You're not the on

ne wen

e silence pressing dow

ly one wit

e cornered Damien in

tablet. "Unless this is a pres

her voice to stay even. "Whoev

t his a

, finally looking at h

. they know everything. Tha

s narrowed.

t. Then the

is seat, closing the

e them?" he as

too quickly. "

dn't

tight and dangerous. He studied her

th me,"

ha

ow

nds gripping the wheel tighter than necessary. Elena sta

luded private estate-gated, remote, and eeri

re we?"

rtly. "My father bought it years ago.

ss of a place frozen in time. Dust clung to picture frames

hallway and stopped

sealed," he said. "He to

w you w

eyes. "Because if I'm going to ask for your

he door and p

es, newspaper clippings pinned to the walls. El

it was a

but. Her parents' sudden death

recognize-bank statements, surveilla

l this?" sh

cking you," Damien

o him, horri

ted until after he died. I think he knew somethi

My father... he worked i

ocument. "Your father was named in a federal investig

spun. "That's

le doubt had

argeting her now? Revenge

d, Elena," Damien said. "And I th

have an

nk you do. And they won'

ng together fragments. The deeper th

on a high-risk investment portfolio. There was mention of

ured. "Our marriage... this wh

aid, jaw tight. "I di

en

had an

t outside the house, watchi

exhausted. "I'm tir

ond at first. Then

y looked at him, and for

e asked softly. "When th

ly. "There's somethin

inue, a sharp crack

uns

cked in

, hitting the stone p

er to the groun

!" he yell

slamming the door shut and locking it. He p

appearances," he said.

heart th

he scandal was the worst

it was

only the