“You will still have a small allowance for groceries and medical needs, of course.”

“But any major transactions will have to go through me.”

He smiled, a small, tight curve of his lips that did not reach his eyes.

“It is for the best, Catherine.”

“You need to focus on the baby, not on imaginary conspiracies.”

I looked at him, seeing the cold calculation behind his handsome face.

He thought he had won.

He thought he had stripped away my leverage, leaving me dependent on his permission for every dollar.

“You think I am delusional?” I asked.

“I think you are exhausted,” he said, walking to the sofa and sitting down.

The scent of Sloane’s citrus perfume rose from the cushions as he settled into the fabric.

“Sloane was here today,” I said, my voice shaking slightly.

Nathan did not blink.

“She was measuring the living room for the new drapes.”

“She is an interior designer, Catherine, doing a job I hired her to do.”

“She was in my bedroom, Nathan.”

He waved his hand dismissively.

“She needed to see the light exposure in the master suite.”