Her mind drifted back anyway. Small things at first—receipts she wasn’t meant to see, calls that ended too quickly, the way Daniel Brooks had started glancing at his phone before answering her, as if measuring how much truth to give. Then came the moment that erased all doubt. She had seen Rebecca Lane leaving that apartment—adjusting her clothes, her expression far too satisfied to be innocent. That image had never left her.
Rebecca. Someone from her past. Someone who once smiled at her across lecture halls, admired her work, her life… and eventually wanted it.
Emily exhaled slowly and stepped out of the car.
The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of rain and pavement. As she stood, she felt the weight of everything shift—not just physically, but emotionally. The decision had already been made long before this day.
A figure approached.
Daniel.
He looked the same as always—sharp suit, composed posture, that effortless confidence that once made her feel safe and now only felt calculated. Beside him stood Rebecca, perfectly put together, every detail of her appearance carefully designed to signal control and quiet victory.
“Ready?” Daniel asked, his tone neutral, almost detached.