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“Oh my God!”

Chiara is laughing so hard she bends over.

Even Carolina loses it.

I wait.

Eventually, they recover.

“But context matters,” I continue. “Mitchell didn't fire Ellie because she uncovered something true that he wanted buried. If he had, we'd be having a very different conversation.”

Carolina nods.

“He fired her because she behaved unethically toward one of his people.”

Dani goes quiet.

“And for what it's worth? I would've fired her too.”

Dani smiles. A real one.

“Okay,” she says. “Now I really like her.”

“Welcome to book club,” Finley announces.

“Did I pass?”

“There was definitely a test,” Annabeth says.

“Annabeth!” Carolina protests.

“What? She knew.”

“I absolutely knew.”

Carolina laughs.

“Fine. You passed.”

Something unexpectedly warm settles in my chest. Which is ridiculous. I don't need the Carolina Rovers' wives to approve of me.

Still…

I'm glad they do. Or at least don't want to throw me out of Mitchell's library. Yet. I look around the table.

“So what book are we discussing?”

That earns another strange silence. I narrow my eyes.

“What?”

Five women exchange glances.

Oh no.

“What?”

Dani grins. Then she reaches beneath the table and produces a paperback.