"We've booked a villa on the south side of town for tonight. We're planning a get-together, maybe stay the night. Are you free?"
Rosamond had planned to slip away quietly, but these colleagues had always been good to her. After tonight, she might never see them again. She couldn't bring herself to refuse.
After a long moment of thought, she agreed.
She packed up a few things at home and rushed to the villa.
What she hadn't expected was Olympia.
Olympia stood in the center of the crowd, her fingers laced through Bryce's, her gaze landing on Rosamond with a glint of smug provocation:
"Attorney Henson, I never thought you'd actually show up to my promotion party."
"I knew Bryce wouldn't lie to me."
Rosamond instinctively looked toward the colleague who had sent her the message, only to find the woman staring at Bryce with guilt written all over her face.
That told her everything she needed to know.
Bryce had actually gone this far for Olympia. The man who had always been too proud for deception had learned to lie.
The grief in her chest was a steel needle, piercing her heart one slow millimeter at a time.
Bryce walked up to Rosamond, his voice low and flat.