Stella lifted her glass in a silent toast. “Mine, too.”
“Xavier should have left us out of his asset distribution. I don’t want any part of it. I certainly don’t want Jeremy connected to him.”
Stella made a face. “Well, having his grandchild probably sealed your fate on that one.”
I froze. Of course she thought that. Grandchild.
“Sorry, not subtle enough?” Stella shrugged. “I can pretend not to put the pieces together. I’m not judging your romantic choices, but I do get why Victoria was so dismissive of you.”
No, Stella didn’t get as much as she thought she did. But she would. She was a smart woman. She just needed a few more hints, then the pieces would click together.
I sat up a little straighter. My fingers tightened on my glass. “I never slept with Patrick.”
I didn’t have to say more. Her eyes widened as the front door opened. She looked too lost in shock to notice.
“That’s not right, is it?” she asked.
My attention flipped to the door. To the very best part of me. Not at school. Not a safe distance away where I could explain in private and in detail every time I lied by omission and beg him to understand.
Jeremy. Here. Now.
My life imploded. “Stella, don’t.”
But she never acknowledged Jeremy or his entrance. She’d locked in on this juicy bit and wasn’t letting go. “Are you saying Xavier is Jeremy’s dad?”
Out loud. Hanging right there. The words I dreaded.
“What?” Jeremy’s voice echoed across the room and smacked into me. The sound of him emotionally bleeding out on the floor.
The wine sloshed over the rim of my glass as I stood up. “Honey—”
“Xavier Tanner isn’t my dad.” Jeremy looked from Stella to me. “What the fuck, Mom? Tell her she’s wrong.”
I’d never wanted to lie so much in my life.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Aubrey
Spying on people who didn’t think their lives were worthy of being watched turned out to be an easy task. Didn’t even have to leave the car. The binoculars did all the work.
Good thing I checked in today. The little bird returned to the nest.
The first domino to fall.
The first liar unmasked.
Welcome to the party, Hanna.
Welcome to the family, Jeremy. Good luck surviving it.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Stella
I’d left Lukas with Everly. We agreed I’d run over and see if I could gather any intel from Hanna. He couldn’t do it. Too obvious. So, the unwanted task fell to me.
Then I saw Hanna on her steps outside, ripping apart boxes and packaging, desperate to claw back control as her life shattered into pieces. In those few seconds, my eagerness to gain the upper hand fizzled. I recognized a woman in pain. Lost in panic. Now this.
