Derek froze.

He knew who Annika was.

She was one of the most ruthless family lawyers in the city.

He didn’t know she was representing me, but he knew her name from high-profile divorce cases in the papers.

“Annika?” Derek asked, his voice barely audible over the clinking of silverware.

“A friend of mine,” I said smoothly.

“She’s been helping me with some advice.”

“I didn’t know you knew her,” Derek said.

“We met recently,” I said.

“She has a very sharp mind.”

The server cleared the soup bowls, replacing them with clean plates for the main course.

The tension in the room was palpable now, a thin, taut wire stretched between Derek and me.

The other guests seemed to sense it, their conversations dropping to a quieter murmur.

“The winter has been so harsh this year,” Susan said, trying to fill the silence.

“It has,” Clara agreed.

“The ice is the worst part.”

“Yes,” I said.

“It hides in the dark.”

I looked out the large dining room window.

The snow was beginning to fall again, small white flakes drifting past the glass.