Chapter 2

The next morning, I grabbed my car keys as usual. "There's something urgent at work. I'm heading out first."

Ruth sat at her vanity, applying makeup without looking up. "Mm."

I pulled out of the complex, but didn't head toward the office. Instead, I turned into the mall parking lot next to the subway station nearby. I grabbed a window seat at a coffee shop by the subway entrance and settled in to wait patiently.

Fifteen minutes later, that familiar figure appeared.

Ruth was dressed in a sharp, tailored work suit, walking with a light, confident step, nothing like the worn-out woman who'd complained about being "worked to death" just last night.

I slipped on my mask, blended into the morning rush, and followed her down into the subway station.

This station was a transfer hub for two lines. Her office was on Line 2. She usually took that direct route.

But this time, she took Line 4 instead.

My heart sank.

I squeezed into the same subway car and stood in a corner, my gaze fixed on her through the crowd.

Ruth stayed on her phone the whole time, her fingers dancing across the screen, a smile she couldn't suppress tugging at her lips.

She looked just as focused and happy as she did back in college, when we first fell in love.

Then the station announcement for the next stop came through, and Ruth finally looked up.

She pulled a phone case I'd never seen before from her bag and swapped out the matching couple's case she shared with me.

My blood nearly froze at that moment.

Ruth got off the train, and I followed closely behind her.

She stood by the roadside and dialed a number. Though I couldn't catch her words, her delicate, almost coquettish expression showed she was confirming something with the person on the other end.

Before long, a brand-new Porsche Panamera pulled up right in front of her.

The window rolled down, but I couldn't make out the driver's face. Yet the barefaced vanity and excitement on Ruth's face as she slid into the passenger seat stabbed at me like an ice pick.

The car sped off, disappearing into the distance.

I stood rooted to the spot, squinting at the license plate.

Then it hit me. Of course, it looked familiar.

That was my sister Erica Carter's new ride. She'd just gotten it last month.

Back at the parking lot, I called Erica.

"Spencer? Is everything okay?" Erica's cheerful voice came through. "Maddie, be careful. Don't swallow too much water!"

"Erica, you're taking Maddie swimming this early?" I asked.

"Yeah, she's really into swimming lately. There's a new pool near our place, and it's nice and quiet in the mornings," she replied.

My heart sank. If Erica was at the pool with her daughter, Madeline Carter, then who was behind the wheel of that car?

"You didn't drive?" I asked cautiously.

"Nah, it's just downstairs. Why bother?" Erica chuckled. "Besides, the car's not with me. I let Pat take it for a spin."

"Pat?" I frowned.

"My new guy, heh," Erica said without a hint of embarrassment. "You know, the new project manager in our software department? Remember? I asked you about him before."

Of course, I knew.

I'd nodded to Patrick's promotion. The company needed new talent, and even though he was young, his resume was pretty impressive.

But at that moment, I found myself gripping my phone tighter.

I used to think Erica had a good eye for talent, but it turned out Patrick was already connected to her. Maybe there was something between them even back when she first recommended him.

But I wasn't in a position to judge anyone else. After all, I was the one who had HR fish out Ruth's resume.

With her qualifications, she never would've gotten into this company on her own.

"What's Pat's family like?" I asked. I hadn't dug into his background before. I'd always believed a person's background didn't define them.

"He's like you," Erica replied. "He's got just one sister."

I froze.

Could it be that he lent the car to his sister?

"But don't worry. I've got it all figured out," Erica added.

"Mm," I replied.

Right then, my phone suddenly lit up with a call from my business partner. He sounded more panicked than I'd ever heard him. "Spencer, something's gone wrong. You need to get to the office right now!"

I snapped back to work mode. "Alright, I'm on my way."