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CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

J ACK

Makayla’s knowing eyes search Jack’s as she waits for his response. After he met Makayla, there was never anything between him and Sabrina. He should never have kissed Sabrina at the Christmas party, and he hates himself for his moment of weakness.

After the hell she went through last night, he doesn’t want to give Makayla any more bad news. But he doesn’t want to lie to her either.

He takes her hand. “No. You weren’t missing anything—there was nothing going on between Sabrina and me.” He should tell her another time, not today, but the words are out of his mouth before he can stop them. “She kissed me at the firm’s Christmas party on the yacht ten years ago. I kissed her back, but only for a moment. I felt horrible afterward, even though it meant nothing.”

Makayla pulls her hand out from his.

“I should’ve told you—I know. But you’d just lost your mother, and I ... I didn’t want to hurt you. And I didn’t want you to worry about something that you didn’t need to.” He reaches for her hand again, and she lets him intertwine his fingers with hers. “I love you, Makayla. I’ve always loved you.”

He glances at Liam. “Sabrina made another pass at me a few months after that, and I shot her down. That’s why she gave my Goldstein account to someone else. I shouldn’t have let her come up last night.” He looks out the window at the parking lot below. “And now she’s dead.”

“That’s not your fault.” Makayla rubs her thumb against his forefinger. “Thank you for telling me.”

Jack meets her eyes. “There’s something else I need to tell you. About Lionel.”

Makayla remains quiet as Jack tells her about the fraud and Lionel’s threats—the thing he was so terrified of before going to bed, which has now paled in comparison to nearly losing their son. When he finishes telling her the story, it strikes him that Lionel is the one who ended up losing a child last night. By now, he’s probably gotten the news that his daughter is dead.

Despite Lionel’s betrayal, Jack’s heart aches for the loss of his childhood best friend and his longtime father figure.

Makayla reaches for his hand as a knock sounds on the hospital room’s door. Liam opens his eyes as Kate appears in the open doorway.

“There are three FBI agents here. And they’re asking to speak with you.”