Chapter 3
Ethan stood in the doorway with two lawyers, his face grim.
Nathan instinctively dropped my hand. "Why are you here?"
"Making sure Lila leaves safely," Ethan said, positioning himself protectively in front of me.
One of the lawyers stepped forward. "Mr. Smith, Ms. Brown has every right to sever all ties with you."
Nathan's face turned livid. "Lila, you'll regret this."
"The only one who'll regret anything is you," I shot back, walking out the door without looking back.
Once I sank into the seat of Ethan's car, I finally relaxed.
"Impressive," Ethan said approvingly.
I balled my fists. "This is just the beginning. You can bet Nathan will pay for everything he's done."
Ethan handed me a file. "Take a look at this."
I flipped it open and saw it was a detailed profile of Olivia.
"She's got quite the rap sheet," I said, my eyes widening as I scanned the records.
"Fraud, theft, forgery..." Ethan smirked. "Nathan really hit the jackpot."
"This evidence..." I murmured.
"Enough to make them tear each other apart," Ethan said with a meaningful look.
I thought for a moment. "Ethan, can you help me with something?"
"Name it."
"I want Nathan to think I've changed my mind," I said, a sly smile on my lips.
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Playing the seduction card?"
"Nah, I'm luring him right into my trap," I replied, pulling out my phone and shooting Nathan a message.
It read: [Sorry, I lost my cool just now. Can we talk things over again?]
Nathan replied almost instantly: [Of course. I'll be waiting.]
Ethan shook his head. "He took the bait faster than I thought."
"Because he's very full of himself," I sneered, slipping my phone away. "He believes no woman could ever leave him."
"What do you need me to do?" Ethan asked.
"Just put on an act with me," I said, leaning close to whisper in his ear.
Ethan shot me an approving grin. "Lila, you've turned downright wicked."
"Didn't have much of a choice," I muttered, sinking back into the seat. "Drive me somewhere, will you?"
"Where to?"
"To buy a voice recorder and a hidden camera," I said calmly.
Ethan burst out laughing. "That's the Lila I know."
The car sped toward downtown, and my revenge plan kicked off.
Nathan, the game was just getting started. You'd better brace yourself.
*****
The voice recorder was sleek and tiny, easy to hide in my clutch.
I tested it over and over, making sure it could pick up every word crystal clear.
"This angle works best," Ethan said, carefully adjusting the tiny camera in my brooch.
His fingers accidentally brushed my collar, sending a subtle tingle across my skin.
I looked up, catching his intense gaze.
"What's up?" I asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable.
"Are you sure about this?" He frowned. "Once you start, there's no turning back."
"The moment he ran away at the wedding, there was no turning back," I said firmly.
Ethan sighed and handed me a USB drive. "Everything on Olivia is here."
I plugged it into the computer. A series of photos and documents filled the screen.
My eyes widened. "What is..."
"Shots of Olivia hooking up with different guys," Ethan smirked. "And these go way back."
I scrolled through the images, suddenly stopping at one. "When was this taken?"
The picture showed Olivia kissing a strange man in a restaurant.
"Three months ago, while Nathan was away on business," Ethan said, pointing at the date.
That was when Olivia claimed she was pregnant.
"Who's this guy?" I asked, jabbing a finger at the photo.
"Daniel Anderson, a real estate developer, married," Ethan said, pulling up another file. "He's been dealing with some serious cash flow issues lately."
An idea popped into my mind. "Ethan, can you check how often Olivia and Daniel meet up?" I asked.
"Already done," he grinned triumphantly. "They meet at least twice a week."
I couldn't help clapping. "Perfect!"
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "What are you thinking?"
"A plan to make Nathan and Olivia turn on each other," I replied with a mysterious smile.
Right on cue, my phone rang—Nathan was calling.
"Lila, why aren't you here yet?" Nathan sounded downright irritated.
"Stuck in traffic. Give me thirty minutes," I answered softly.
After I hung up, Ethan handed me a glass of water and said, "Nice acting."
"Thanks for the compliment," I replied, sipping my water and checking my gear. "Everything ready?"
"Wait," Ethan said, slipping a necklace around my neck. "It's got a GPS chip in the pendant—I'll know exactly where you are."
The cold pendant rested against my skin, sending a small shiver down my spine.
"Ethan..." I murmured, touched.
"Safety first," he said seriously. "Press the pendant three times if there's any trouble. I'll be there immediately."
I nodded, taking a deep breath as I headed to the door.
"Lila," Ethan suddenly called out.
I turned back, meeting his eyes.
"No matter what happens, I'm here for you," he said, eyes serious.
Somehow, those words gave me incredible courage.