What if she really was broken?
What if Frank had convinced everyone—even her—so thoroughly over the years that no one would believe otherwise now?
Her fingers tightened around the armrests. She exhaled slowly.
“You’re nervous,” the doctor observed calmly.
He was an older man, glasses perched on a thin frame.
She managed a smile.
“It’d be strange if I weren’t.”
He studied her closely, as if reading every unspoken fear.
“Don’t worry. We’ll start with basic assessments. You don’t need to prove you’re sane, Nina. You just need to be yourself.”
She nodded. Just be herself. A couple of hours later, she was done. She took the elevator down to the garage again. It was still crowded.
She got into her car and started the engine—but the moment she pulled out, she spotted a familiar black Mercedes.
Tomorrow she’d go to a spa. Exit through the service door. Repeat the same maneuver. The key was not getting caught.
The next two weeks were going to be pure hell.
It felt like she’d stepped into some kind of criminal underworld. Except the crime boss wasn’t a stranger. It was her own husband.
***
Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and she pulled it out.
It was Nolan.
“We need to meet,” he said without preamble. His voice wasstrictly business.
She exhaled and closed her eyes for a moment.
“Okay. Where and when?”
“How about dinner?”
She frowned slightly. Dinner? He usually asked her to stop by his warehouse on the docks.
“I’m fine with that,” she said.“Where and when?”
“Any time,” he replied calmly.“I’ve got a private room reserved at a place. No one will see or hear us there.”
Of course. Very Nolan. He always planned everything carefully.
“Perfect. An hour from now?”
“That works.”
She ended the call and set her phone down.
Her head was still buzzing—with the chaos of Frank, Daphne, and Jasper. But there was no choice. If she wanted to win this game, she had to keep moving.
She got out of the car and lifted her gaze to the restaurant’s facade. The evening city glowed with lightsreflected in the massive glass panels.
