The Contract Wife's Reckoning

ng was in

the floor-to-ceiling win

ci

quarterly report

rstood. Things

Sarah, knocke

ckage just arrived

I' m not expec

m Hayes," Sarah said,

own deepe

ricked at h

it," sh

im manila envelope

at it for

h of irritation,

as l

ore i

w folded she

ce pa

d by

t USB drive was

a wave of

li

clean

done. F

r pen, a sleek, ex

re was shar

esit

t these notarized and

Ms. St

d back in

ght l

ee

Vance

at his phone.

Hayes Dead in Ap

e, joyfu

na

iot wa

email to Liam hi

tos of Ava and Marcus. The de

truth, twist

as fragile. Ob

mble. But i

of the

, f

she' d

patient.

s phone, dialed

ed to s

r co

ere f

o meet Ethan

s' s brother

range, distan

cafe, his expressi

about Liam.

ere full o

. "Thank y

said, shaking his head. "Did

va said, her voice neutral. "

ws shot up in f

I... I di

s playing his

end. Support

their coffees when a woma

ark hair, eyes bl

s. Liam' s

om a few awkward comp

Ethan, her gaz

voice tight. "Is it t

swer, Ethan put a h

me? This is hardly

"Don' t touch me. I

nto Ava. "What d

r voice calm. "Liam and I wer

rose. "He loved you! And

cafe were star

rhaps we should dis

cuss," Chloe shot back.

ng divorced," Ethan said smo

en back at Ava. Disbeli

. "Liam wouldn' t... not

her phone, her

to cal

di

lier was still there, but now, a tiny, unfamiliar

the ringing, her f

she said, her voice hol

er eyes filled with

appened

Ethan walked Ava b

g solicitou

es. The angle of his jaw. The way his

eached out, gentl

ything, Ava. An

gers we

flin

her a

, Ethan. T

red for a fract

omething in his eyes.

as quickly a

said smoothly.

l

against her

led where he'

s str

ed like

h had never made h

ugh her silent,

was

was

ld be ce

ent felt too b

about Etha

ge realizat

want Ethan t

want anyone

ept

ght was

pt L

signed divorce papers from. The man she

e had systematically r

wrong w