The cream-colored settlement papers remained on the table, a stark reminder of the fortune Eleanor had offered to make this go away.

I left them there.

We walked out to my old station wagon, the cold night air biting at our faces.

I helped Clara into the passenger seat, ensuring her injured leg was comfortable, then got behind the wheel.

I started the engine and backed out of the driveway, keeping the headlights off until we reached the main road.

As I turned onto the highway, my dashboard console lit up.

A notification flashed on the screen.

It was an incoming email to my private account.

The sender address was a string of random characters, but the subject line was a single word: *Julian.*

My breath caught in my throat.

I pulled the car over onto the gravel shoulder of the empty highway, the hazard lights blinking in the darkness.

I tapped the screen to open the message.

I tapped the screen.

The message was brief.

“You left your papers behind, Madeline. But you can’t run from the debt.”

Attached was a photo.