left her chest thudding hard enough to hurt. Trapped between Anthony an

that came when a person had nothing left to lo

to prove my innocence? You heard what happened. Matthew betrayed me and, exploiting my blindness, hid everythin

ars, haven't you? The enemy of my enemy can be on my side. Right now, I don'

s he wondered what she would do next. Now that he knew she was the little girl who had once saved his life,

interrupted their moment, echoi

n. "Kyra, you do realize this is the men's ro

ulled him closer. "Come on, Matthew. What's there t

er, slipping boldly b

ough groan escaped him. Years of pent

by the sink. Someone co

ey stumbled into the stall beside Lindsay and

so hard... Hurry, take off my pa

me show you how much I lik

colliding, and shameless whispers bleeding thr

d over Lindsay, freezing her in place. Her st

than to storm out, tear open the door, an

hands cupped her ears, tr

ery ugly moment, seared into her memory. Only by letting herself fee

d slipped her phone into Anthony's hand. Her l

of her to stay level-minded in a moment like this. Any evidence of the affair would

ms around Lindsay as they endured the

nd pale. Anthony guided her quietly out the back, k

wash over her cheeks and realized her tears had n

couple of tissues. "L

a tight nod. She sent a quick voice note to Vera and k

.

gate, he automatically looked toward the bedroom upstairs. Nothing but darkn

, unlit house. Unease crept in, tightening around his

alked by, chasing away the darkness an

ing quietly on the edge of the bed, lost in her own worl

mechanical precision. She fixed her unseeing eyes on him. A hint of self‑mockery stirred beneath the calm surface, though

another woman's perfume clung to him so st

but the moment she recoiled, his arms

her hands ready to ease his headache. She used to settle against him like a small creature see

ively light, he asked,