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Silence.

Pure silence.

Steam rolls off Halston as his right eyelid begins to twitch.

“I’m going to kill you.”

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

VERITY

Istand on the busy street, people pushing and shoving, taxis blasting their horns, the recognizable nutty scent from the corner street vendor, all surrounding me—and yet, I’m unable to move, unable to function after watching reality shatter before my very eyes.

I don’t know what to do.

Everyone heard our yelling match, heard Celine implicate me.

Every pair of eyes in the office stared at me as I ran to my desk and quickly packed up my stuff, whispers following me as I booked it out of the building. I couldn’t even look at Jenna, let alone Imani or Anne, who just seemed confused by the situation.

By tomorrow, everyone will know that Celine has an ex-husband and that I am dating him.

Husband.

She has a husband, no ex at the start.

Because apparently, they aren’t divorced.

How can that even be possible?

Why would Cullen date me if he is still married?

This doesn’t make sense. He isn’t that kind of guy. He can’t be.

I need to talk to him, yet I can’t bring myself to text him back. I’m paralyzed by the idea of facing him and hearing a truth that I can’t accept. Do I go to his apartment anyway? Do I confronthim or do I run before I can get hurt? I can’t do that, can’t be a coward again. I owe our relationship that much.

It’s like someone has gripped my heart between their hands and is squeezing it with all their strength. My head feels like it is about to explode, a grenade ticking down to detonation.

I have no clue what the hell I am going to do, but I can’t do nothing.

I shut my eyes, take a deep breath in through my nose to fix the mild hyperventilation issue I am dealing with, and open them again.

This is a nightmare.

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

CULLEN

“Okay! I slept with him!”Verity’s voice shouts through Celine’s phone.

Red fills my vision as I shoot out of my armchair, patience blown to pieces.

“You recorded her?”

“You said we had no evidence. I have evidence.”

“You clearly forced her to say that.”

“I did not.”