Chapter 4

I stared at the forged marriage certificate in her hand, a cold chill washing over me.

Dan and I had gone to the City Clerk's Office together. We had the license. We were in the official registry.

Paper could be faked. The city's archives couldn't.

"You're claiming that's real?" I challenged her. "Fine. Let's go to the City Clerk's Office right now and verify it."

Vanessa scoffed. "Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough?"

"I have nothing to hide." I looked from her to Dan, whose jaw was clenched tight. "Do you?"

Dan took a threatening step toward me.

"Keep pushing, Erin, and I'm done playing nice." His voice was a low snarl. "I rejected you a long time ago. What exactly is your endgame here?"

The receptionist chimed in. "Ma'am, I have seen Mr. Hart and this lady at building events. If you continue to harass our residents, I'm calling security."

The crowd was growing by the minute.

"She looked so innocent, but she's stalking a married man."

"Management needs to step in."

"Call 911. She's crazy."

The rage boiled up into my throat, choking me.

"You don't know anything!" I yelled, my voice cracking. "I'm not harassing them! They betrayed me!"

"Liar!" Vanessa shrieked. "Dan, make her stop!"

Dan glared at me, his eyes dark with malice.

The last shred of warmth I held for this man died right then and there.

"If you won't go to the city to verify it, then we'll let the cops do it. Let's see who forged a government record."

I pulled out my phone and started dialing 911.

Dan's face contorted. He lunged at me, snatched the phone from my hand, and hurled it at the marble floor.

The screen shattered into a spiderweb of glass.

"Are you insane?!" I yelled.

I bent down to grab it, but he seized my wrist. His grip was brutal, digging into my bone. I gasped in pain.

"You're the insane one," he hissed, dragging me toward the revolving doors. "Get the hell out of here before you ruin my life!"

"Let go of me, Dan!" I thrashed against him, but his fingers were like a vice.

Vanessa walked right beside us, a vicious smirk on her face. "Erin, stop making this harder on yourself."

He was inches from throwing me out onto the pavement when a sharp, commanding voice echoed through the lobby doors.

"Erin! Compliance pulled the file. Daniel Hart bought 1203, and Vanessa Cole is the resident!"

Camille stormed into the lobby.

A second later, her eyes locked onto Dan, who was still violently twisting my wrist.

Her face went lethal.

Chapter 4

I stared at the forged marriage certificate in her hand, a cold chill washing over me.

Dan and I had gone to the City Clerk's Office together. We had the license. We were in the official registry.

Paper could be faked. The city's archives couldn't.

"You're claiming that's real?" I challenged her. "Fine. Let's go to the City Clerk's Office right now and verify it."

Vanessa scoffed. "Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough?"

"I have nothing to hide." I looked from her to Dan, whose jaw was clenched tight. "Do you?"

Dan took a threatening step toward me.

"Keep pushing, Erin, and I'm done playing nice." His voice was a low snarl. "I rejected you a long time ago. What exactly is your endgame here?"

The receptionist chimed in. "Ma'am, I have seen Mr. Hart and this lady at building events. If you continue to harass our residents, I'm calling security."

The crowd was growing by the minute.

"She looked so innocent, but she's stalking a married man."

"Management needs to step in."

"Call 911. She's crazy."

The rage boiled up into my throat, choking me.

"You don't know anything!" I yelled, my voice cracking. "I'm not harassing them! They betrayed me!"

"Liar!" Vanessa shrieked. "Dan, make her stop!"

Dan glared at me, his eyes dark with malice.

The last shred of warmth I held for this man died right then and there.

"If you won't go to the city to verify it, then we'll let the cops do it. Let's see who forged a government record."

I pulled out my phone and started dialing 911.

Dan's face contorted. He lunged at me, snatched the phone from my hand, and hurled it at the marble floor.

The screen shattered into a spiderweb of glass.

"Are you insane?!" I yelled.

I bent down to grab it, but he seized my wrist. His grip was brutal, digging into my bone. I gasped in pain.

"You're the insane one," he hissed, dragging me toward the revolving doors. "Get the hell out of here before you ruin my life!"

"Let go of me, Dan!" I thrashed against him, but his fingers were like a vice.

Vanessa walked right beside us, a vicious smirk on her face. "Erin, stop making this harder on yourself."

He was inches from throwing me out onto the pavement when a sharp, commanding voice echoed through the lobby doors.

"Erin! Compliance pulled the file. Daniel Hart bought 1203, and Vanessa Cole is the resident!"

Camille stormed into the lobby.

A second later, her eyes locked onto Dan, who was still violently twisting my wrist.

Her face went lethal.