“You really are out of your depth.”

“Do you honestly believe this little charade is going to hold up in court tomorrow?”

“A sudden marriage to a man who didn’t know you existed three months ago?”

“The judge is going to see right through it.”

Nathan reached down and picked up the phone, holding it close to his mouth.

“The marriage license is real, Evelyn,” Nathan said.

“The joint accounts are real.”

“And my legal team is already filing the injunctions against Grant.”

“Oh, I’m sure your lawyers are very expensive,” Evelyn replied.

“But public opinion is a very fragile thing, Nathan.”

“People love a romance, but they hate a lie.”

“Especially when there is a paper trail.”

She paused, letting the silence hang between us.

“Sleep well,” she said.

The line went dead with a soft click.

Outside, the headlights flicked off, plunging the gravel lot back into darkness.

The black sedan shifted into reverse, its tires crunching slowly over the wet stones before it vanished onto the highway.

I sank onto the edge of the mattress, my knees suddenly unable to support my weight.