I watch the two attorneys, both lost in their work as they lock down the final details. There’s a palpable tension in the room, but then there’s also Hallie. She’s a different story entirely.
Her posture seems almost fragile now. Her fingers tap out an anxious rhythm on the armrest, a far cry from the practiced stillness she’s known for. Her eyes dart between Richard and Finn, a mix of frustration and agitation brewing. If I know Hallie, I’m sure she’s having a hard time with the fact that there’s no massive payout and no fortune to cushion her landing after all this.
I wouldn’t say this feels good, exactly. Just that it’s…right. More like a painfully slow, hard-earned justice.
Richard breaks the awkward silence. “We’re almost done here.”
Hallie’s barely listening. She’s staring straight ahead with a tight jaw, the smallest fracture spidering across that polished mask she’s worn so long that it might as well be permanent.
“I think we need to take a moment,” she blurts out, hervoice cracking slightly. A sound I never thought I’d hear from her. “Richard, can we speak privately?”
Richard’s gaze flickers over to her, the briefest sigh escaping him. “We’ve been over this. This is the best deal you’re going to get, considering the circumstances.”
I can’t help but feel a small, almost guilty surge of satisfaction rising up. Watching her squirm and realize the control she once held is slipping from her grasp is like a pressure valve finally releasing.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” she sneers in my direction, her eyes narrowing. The challenge is there, but there’s desperation, too. She’s fighting to keep her last shred of dignity intact.
I don’t even flinch because that would mean engaging, and truth be told, I’m too damn tired of this dance to bother.
I’ve seen Hallie at her most ruthless. I’ve sat across from her in boardrooms and living rooms and lawyers’ offices just like this one, watching her bend situations to her will with a smile on her face while she screws over the people around her. I’ve watched her lie without so much as a blink and manipulate without hesitation.
But today, her mask has slipped just enough to reveal a woman clutching at whatever scraps of control she can reach for.
When Finn slides the papers toward me, the pen resting neatly on top, there’s no stalling. My signature flows across the page, the final mark that seals the end of this chapter. There’s nothing ceremonial about it. No flourish or drama. Just a simple, unremarkable end to something that’s drained enough from me already.
Without a word, without so much as a glance in Hallie’s direction, I push back from the table and walk out the door.
Some endings don’t need fireworks.
Some just need to be over.
thirty-one
KNOX
Itake a day to breathe and let the dust settle after the meetings with the lawyers, but it doesn’t help. Because no matter what I do—walk the grounds, pour a dram, stare at the same numbers I’ve run a hundred times—I can’t shake the thought of her.
Juliette.
She’s not justonmy mind. She’s in it, and I need to see her. I won’t rest until I’m standing in front of her again, hearing her laugh and watching her light up a room.
Convincing Callan to come with me to Edinburgh wasn’t exactly a tough sell. He’d been itching for a reason to get up here, and honestly, I knew he’d be all for surprising the girls.
I step out of my hotel room, and he’s already in the hallway, leaning casually against the doorframe with his usual laid-back grin plastered on his face.
“You ready, then?” he asks.
I nod. “Aye, let’s get going.”
With Juliette keeping me updated on every little thing she’s been up to, it’s easy enough figuring out whereshe is tonight. The pub she mentioned isn’t far, and the walk is simple. Strolling through Old Town Edinburgh is like stepping into another era with its cobblestone streets twisting through a labyrinth of narrow alleys and timeworn buildings, the air rich with the scent of whisky and hearty Scottish fare.
As we push through the pub door, warmth spills out to meet us. The place is alive with the sounds of laughter, clinking glasses, and the familiar hum of conversation.
Above the chatter, I catch Juliette’s laugh, the sound cutting through all the noise like a melody I know by heart. I could pick it out in a crowd of a thousand voices.
I glance over and find her at a high-top table with Bree, their heads close together and completely lost in conversation.
A grin spreads across my face as I make my way over to them. I creep up behind Juliette, my arms sliding around her waist and pulling her in close. She lets out a soft gasp, and I lean down, my lips brushing against her ear as I whisper, “Fancy seeing you here, lass.”
