Chapter 4

That evening, Ethan cooked salmon and opened a bottle of wine I liked but rarely bought.

It was almost convincing.

He moved around the kitchen with the easy care of a man who believed he still knew exactly how to make me feel loved.

He lit candles.

He asked about my day.

He kissed the top of my head when he passed behind my chair.

I told him I had spent the afternoon with Marisol.

The knife in his hand paused.

"Is she doing well?" he asked.

"Very."

"What did you talk about?"

"The house. The loan. The blue room."

He looked up.

I smiled before he could decide what to say. "The paint is beautiful."

A breath left him. "I thought you'd like it. It makes the hallway feel brighter."

He did not ask how I knew about the room. He did not volunteer a name. He only watched me carefully, as if he could see whether I had become dangerous.

Later, while he showered, the shared tablet on the kitchen island lit up with a message from Grant.

Grant: Monday at ten. The seller will not extend again.

Below it was a photograph.

Sophie stood in front of a pale gray cottage, holding a brass key in both hands. Leah stood behind her,

one arm around Sophie's shoulders. The photo had been taken from close enough that I could see the curve of Ethan's reflection in the front window.

Grant: I covered the deposit because you promised Nora would sign. I am not carrying this anymore.

Ethan: She will sign. She's nervous, not difficult.

Attached to the conversation was a receipt.

Buyer: Leah Monroe.

Deposit paid by: Grant Miller, on behalf of Ethan Cole.

The water shut off upstairs.

I took screenshots, returned the tablet to the exact angle it had been in, and sat back down at the table.

Ethan came into the kitchen in gray sleep pants, his hair damp at the temples. He wrapped his arms around me from behind.

"Don't worry about Monday," he said. "I'll take care of you."

I closed my eyes.

He was asking me to sign a loan so he could reimburse Grant for Leah's house.

He was building a blue room in our home while buying another home for his daughter.

And he still believed I was the kind of woman who mistook a gentle voice for safety.