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The humming sound infiltrates my mind, and I fight the darkness. What is it? A vacuum cleaner? Fuck, it will wake up Saar.

I sit up so suddenly, I get dizzy. Have I fallen asleep?

I blink a few times, trying to adjust to the darkness, but even with fuzzy vision, I know… I feel that I’m alone.

One look around me confirms the dread coiling around my stomach. I bolt out of the room and almost topple over the cleaning lady.

She startles and jumps to the corner, the vacuum hose flipping around, tripping me.

“Fuck,” I swear, probably losing my employee in the process. I barrel into Saar’s room, but she isn’t there. “Where is she?”

The woman shakes her head, backing up, clearly scared of me. Fuck. “Never mind.” I try to smile at her and rush downstairs.

In the kitchen, I find a whistling Livia. My housekeeper is actually whistling cheerfully. What the fuck? “Where is Saar?”

“Good afternoon, Mr. Quinn. She said she’s going to see a lawyer. Are you hungry?”

I close my eyes and breathe through my flared nostrils, fisting my hands. “No, I’m not hungry. Thank you.” I pivot to leave. “Oh, the cleaning lady upstairs…”

Livia frowns. “What about her?”

“Give her a raise.” I don’t wait for Livia’s response and rush to my office.

Me

Where are you?

A lawyer? What lawyer? Is she getting the divorce already? Why the fuck did I fall asleep?

I pace my office, pulling my hair, waiting for her response. When the message pings, I swipe the screen so violently the phone almost flies across the room.

Saar

At my father’s lawyer.

Her father’s lawyer. She went to get her trust fund released. And now I know with certainty, I’m the third man who betrayed her.

Chapter 24

Saar

I need emergency coffee.

Celeste

That tired?

Lily

I think she means a coffee meeting.

Celeste

Merde. The pregnancy brain.

Lily

I have a day off. Can be at Cora’s in 30 mins.