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We’d done all of those things more than once. And we couldn’t stop.

I had to raise the issue with him. He’d agreed to look into my mom’s case. Could his lawyer win? How long would that take? Should I still go through with the extraction process to get my mom out of prison? I hadn’t told Attikus about that part yet. But I’d already paid those men. I doubted they’d give me a refund.

Vacation was over, and now chaos was showering down on us.

Sitting in his chair, I blew out a heavy breath. I ran my fingers along his sturdy desk, trying to envision him sitting here thinking, reviewing files on his computer, or making a business deal.

Standing, I browsed his office. I turned to a nook with a lounge chair by a window, offering a view of the yard. I sucked in a breath at the painting on the wall. My heart raced as I stepped closer. I thought President Collins and the First Lady had boughtHope in Blossomat the auction. Attikus was the anonymous buyer all this time. Why hadn’t he said anything to me?

I moved to the long conference table. Two boards on stands were positioned close to the wall. I approached the first board and examined the pictures of the three high school boys. Two of them had a large redXmarked over them. Bobby C. Cooney and Harry C. Sullivan. These were the boys who’d attacked Attikus. The picture ofAshton Lindor stood out to me. His calculating brown eyes, ruffled blond hair, and knowing smirk gave off negative vibes that sent chills down my spine.

I studied the pictures of bloody clothes and blood on the sidewalk. My heart cracked when I saw a picture of a broken Attikus in the hospital bed. His face was bruised and unrecognizable. Tears filled my eyes and slid down my face. I hated these boys.

Where was Ashton now? He needed to be punished for his crime.

My eyes slid over to the burned house. Only part of the house still stood. My heart shattered, and I dropped into the chair at the table. I could only imagine the pain and grief Attikus had endured. I wanted to help him capture these people.

I glanced at the notes posted on the board and the boxes filled with files on the floor and table. Attikus was consumed with this case. I would be too, if my family had been murdered like his. I admired his persistence.

Walking over to the second board, I gasped when I saw it was about me. Notes and pictures of Emmanuel, his sister, Enzo,the missing finger, and some fitness centers took up parts of the board.

I stared at the Post-it note that read,Get Vanessa’s mom out of prison.

He must’ve written this down in his office before he left.

I didn’t know what to say. I’d mentioned it to him yesterday, and now it was a priority on the board. He was doing so much for me already, and I felt guilty that I couldn’t offer much in return. He’d only asked for a painting from me, but at this rate, I’d be painting him a hundred.

I remembered how he had assumed I was bothered by his cane. Maybe he’d dated the wrong women who’d made him insecure about his injury. But those things didn’t bother me. In my eyes, his cane represented a powerful symbol that showed he was a survivor—that he built himself up from nothing.

The need to take care of him overwhelmed me. I wanted to erase his pain and insecurities. Though he portrayed himself as a powerful billionaire who could achieve anything, I saw his vulnerabilities. I knew things about him that no one else did, and vice versa.

Two ideas popped into my head. One was the greenhouse, and the second was food.

Food always made me feel better. I knew he enjoyed the Vietnamese food at the Saigon Bistro. That could be our dinner tonight.

But first, I went to the greenhouse, found a new pair of garden gloves, put them on, and got to work. I opened the bags of soil on the ground and filled up the trays and pots. Two hours later, the greenhouse had containers of vegetables and herbs that would sprout soon. Attikus had an irrigation and solar light system with unique-looking light bulbs that were already set up. Four panels with speakers hung on each corner of the greenhouse. Reading the pamphlet on the table, I activated all the functions in a low setting.

Satisfied that we’d have vegetables and herbs to eat in a few months, I removed the gloves, washed my hands in the small sink, and returned to the house.

Then I called Saigon Bistro to place my order. Minutes later, I drove to pick it up. As I walked out of the restaurant, Attikus’s mom and sister arrived. Gigi had trimmed her bob cut, making her look chic. Ellen wore her red hair in a ponytail.

“Hi,”I said, wondering if I should address her asMom.

I didn’t know if Attikus had told them about our wedding yet.

“Hi, Nessa! How are you?” Ellen offered me a hug.

“Wonderful,” I told Ellen.

“Hi.” Gigi smiled, but I sensed a slight hesitation. Maybe she’d heard about the wedding and resented us? Awkwardness stirred between us.

“Now that you’re back from Maui,” Gigi said, “we’d like to visit you at your gallery.”

She knows.

“Sure, I would love to have my mother and sister-in-law visit. I’m sorry that we eloped. We should have alerted you. It was a last-minute decision.”

Gigi huffed, holding up a hand. “It’s not your fault. It’s Attikus’s. He’s been making outrageous decisions and won’t listen to anyone.” She eyed me. “Except his wife.”