abdomen. The pain was a brutal confirmation that the night before had not been

er vitals. "How are you feeling, sweetie?" she asked, he

rasped, her throa

reassuring smile. "Stable for now. She

owever, was becoming clearer, sharper. She reached for her phone on the bedside table, her movements slow and

. It rang. And rang. And rang

sn't Juli

husky with sleep, and sickeningly

d hear the distinct sound of the rain showerhead in

ith smug ownership. "Can I take a message?" A beat of silence, then, "If t

r. She was the personal.

able, her husband had taken his mistress home to

take of breath on the other end of the line-the sound of a woman realizing she had been caught. "You're in my house. Wearing my bracelet

efore Carlene

d of hope she didn't even know she was holding onto snapped. It

ily was not a Hawthorne. She was a Craig. She was hers alone. This child would not be a

rough her contacts and found Sloan

st ring. "Addy? What's up?

e story spilled out in a torrent of broken, gasping sentences-the restaurant, the bracel

"That son of a bitch," she finally hissed. "That absolute, grade-A piece of human garbage. I'm go

the back of her hand. Her eyes were dry, burning with a new

his waist. Carlene was perched on the edge of his desk, wearing nothing bu

r voice lacking its usual smug c

ance crossing his face. He rubbed

opped, unable to repeat Adalynn's words. "She's no

uring himself a scotch. "It's exhausting. Wh

it. Harmless. The woman on the phone had not so

ithout question. It was easie

concern. She took one look at Adalynn's pale face, the IV in her arm, and the slight

, A

ide her, Sloane," she said, her voice low and even. "He can never know

ce full of admiration. "That's my girl. We are not letting that bastard or his dragon of a mother use that baby to contro

et my goddaughter." She squeezed Adalynn's hand. "And don't y

photo was a selfie, taken from behind Julian's desk, the glittering skyline of the city spread out behind her

read: "A n

n her phone and labeled it: "Evidence." The screenshot went in, alongside the call log showing he

murmured to herself

own phone, saw it at the same time. A low growl e

get strategic." She looked at her friend, her eyes dark with purpose. "She just publicly wore stolen property and called it a new chapter.

Adalynn Craig she had known was gone. In her place was a woman who had been p