Mom glances at me with expectancy. “Sweetheart, aren’t you going to answer that?”
“I can’t. Not right now.”
I flip the phone facedown, and the call ends, but then the doorbell rings.
It would be just like Knox to call first while he’s outside waiting to come in.
“I’ll get it,” Mom offers, pushing herself off the couch.
“No,” I groan, stopping her. “I’ll do it. It’s… probably Knox.”
“Okay. If it is, just talk to him. I’m gonna go upstairs and lie down.”
I nod. She heads upstairs, and I move toward the door.
Dread fills me at the thought of seeing Knox. I don’t want to argue with him, and I don’t want this deep hurt I feel to metastasize into something worse. When I pull open the door, my dread quadruples when I find Chad standing on the threshold.
He seems to turn up at the worst times possible.
But this visit tops the rest.
“Isla.” He says my name carefully, as if testing it out.
“Chad, what are you doing here?” I’m in no mood for pleasantries. I can’t even muster a smile.
“I came as soon as I saw the news. Thought you might come here.” His gaze hardens. “I’m sure there’s no way you knew Knox planned to demolish the restaurant.”
“No. I didn’t know.”
“That’s what I thought. You love that place too much. Your entire family does.”
“Chad, I’m really not in the mood to talk right now. Maybe some other time.”
“Oh, I think we should talk now.” He pulls out a document from the folder he’s carrying and holds it up for me to see.
My heart slams into my ribs then comes to a complete stop when I realize what he’s showing me.
The contract.
Knox’s marriage contract.
It takes a full minute before my shock subsides and the air returns to my lungs.
Chad lifts his chin with defiance as he steps past me, marching into the house without waiting to be invited. I shut the door with trembling hands and turn to face him.
“Is your mom home?” He looks around.
“She’s upstairs. Where did you get that?” I cut to the chase.
“Same place I got everything else.”
It was him. Knox said he didn’t know how the press found out about the plans for the restaurant. I’m looking right at the answer. “You. You did this. You told the press about the restaurant.”
He laughs off-key. “You’re looking at me as if I’m the villain here. All I did was expose that son of a bitch for who he is. Thank God I listened to my gut and hired a PI to find dirt on him. And my God, did I find it.”
My stomach twists. “Chad… you hurt me. You hurt my mother. Youblindsidedme.”
“I did what I had to do to make you see the truth.” He steps closer. “I knew something was off with you two, and I was right. Now, I know everything, Isla.”
