Her gaze drops. “Yes.”
“Then why did you do it?”
She swallows. “I didn’t do it on purpose.”
I set my glass down harder than necessary, the base clacking against the table. “That’s not an answer. You had papers delivered. With a date. With instructions. All you had to do was sign. I have an entire season riding on staying focused and scandal-free, and you couldn’t handle a signature?”
Her face tightens. “I told you, I’m sorry.” Her hands twist together even tighter. “I got overwhelmed and shoved the papers away. I couldn’t even look at them. It was too much.”
Jesus.
This woman is driving me insane.
She’s creating legal problems. She’s threatening my reputation. And somehow, I still feel a flicker of sympathy.
I hate that I understand panic.
I hate that I respect her honesty.
I lean back, dragging a hand over my mouth, trying to reset.
My mind starts running numbers and scenarios like a playbook.
Annulment window missed.
We’ll have to talk to Daniel.
Tomorrow.
I breathe in through my nose.
Out through my mouth.
Then I point at her again. “You’re stayingonenight.”
Her head jerks up. “What?”
“One,” I repeat. “You sleep in the guest room. You don’t touch my stuff. You don’t go into my office. You don’t post anything on social media. You don’t call anyone from the team. You don’t call your dad from here.”
Her lips part, offended. “I wasn’t going to—”
“Rules,” I cut in. “You like making decisions? Here’s one you don’t get to make. You get one night because I’m not throwing you onto the street, and because I need to keep you where I can see you until we talk to Daniel.”
Her eyes narrow. “Until you can control me.”
I feel the urge to snap back, but I swallow it.
“Yes,” I say simply. “Until I can control the situation.”
She stares at me for a long moment, then gives a stiff nod. “Fine.”
“Tomorrow after practice,” I continue, “we go to my lawyer together. No discussion.”
“What if he’s mad?” she asks, like that’s the biggest issue in the room.
I let out a humorless laugh. “He’s going to be furious.”
“So are you,” she says quietly.
