on the side of the table. A waiter app

out looking at him, his eyes still fixed on Anabel. The wa

gital recorder on the table

shook h

tiny red light blinked to life

name for t

Robles H

for the purpose of dissolving

es

n," h

p, the cold bubbles a shock against

f the pregnancy test. The intimate messages. The Tribeca townhouse. She recounted the even

e remained a mask of professional neutrality. He took notes on a small, leather-bound pa

sat back, tapping th

ative like a surgeon's blade. "In New York, a no-fault state, they are emotionally devastating but legally weak. He

"So that's it? He jus

He pushed his gold-rimmed glasses up the bri

ven lower, becoming more invasive. "How often

n hit her l

ay, staring at a nondescript painting on the far wall. I

what that has

keep from me are the weapons he will use against you in court. He will paint you as a cold, frigid wife who denied him affection, who drove him int

forced herself to meet his gaze. The winte

years," she whispered, the words ta

of something-shock? pity? anger?-crossed his face before the mask of indifference

p, heavy line

essed, his vo

isolated, miserable moments. "The first time... was about two years ago. After the deal t

e secon

had his second heart attack. Ca

to you for intimacy. He turns to you for anesthesia. You're no

hit her with the force of a physical blow. She felt a familiar, nervous energy thrumming under her s

s tone shifting. "Tell

le. A curated feed of brunches, charity events, and selfies, all showc

smiling back at him. His brow, which had been smooth and unt

murmured, alm

He didn't just find another woman, Mrs

chilling insight. "Did you know she was his g

tilted.

ial circles, the usual tangled web," Damion said. "Through that, we hear things. They had a very intens

a ghost story. She had been living with, sleeping with, a man who was in love w

brutal clarity. "He's refusing because he's a narcissist with a pathological need for control. You are a

is power, and his influence to destroy you. He will leak stories to the press. He will try to prove you are an unfit, u

He was offering her a key, but he was also

ing her lungs with a new, cold fire.

, her voice clear and strong. "

mion Morris's face. It transformed his cold, handsom

d off the

nd his pen across the tabl

t you some mat

t shake as she signed her name, her real

d, Mrs. Robles. We're going to get you every last cent you're owed. And we

m, cool, and promised

-