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Miss Scarlett is no fool. She knows exactly who’s to blame in all of this…and exactly who will suffer the most because of it.

Spoiler alert: it’s never the men.

When Kira looks back up at me, her eyes are red and swollen. It’s like a punch to the gut. My heart aches seeing her this upset.

“We can take this back to my office,” Jett suggests, glancing at our eavesdropping neighbors. “Away from listening ears.”

“All right, well you two have fun catching up⁠—”

I grab Guy by the collar and yank him close. “Don’t even think about it.”

He holds up his hands, and I release him with a shove. “No need for violence. If you wanted me to come, all you had to do was ask,” he mumbles, smoothing the wrinkles my fist left on his shirt.

“Can you two try not to make a bigger scene?” Leo sneers.

Ignoring Leo, I move to Kira, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her against me. “I’m so fucking sorry this is happening,” I whisper.

“It’s not your fault,” she tells me, her voice weak. “I shouldn’t have⁠—”

“Don’t you dare try to take the blame for this,” I cut her off. “You are a human, Kira, and you deserve to be able to live your life without always having to worry about how you’ll be perceived. Without having everything you do under a microscope.”

“That’s what I signed up for, unfortunately.”

And that right there is where all the problems lie. She fucking believes that just because she’s an actress, that somehow means she doesn’t deserve the same human decency as anyone else.

“No, baby, it’s not.” I shake my head. “You deserve privacy just like anyone else. You don’t owe anyone any explanations for the choices you make.”

Our moment is interrupted when I feel Jett’s palm on my shoulder. “You coming?”

Kira nods toward Leo. “You should go talk to him.”

“Are you going to be okay?”

She nods against me, using the back of her hand to wipe her cheeks. “I’ll be fine. I need to make a few calls myself.”

I study her for a moment, trying to decide whether I believe her or if she’s just putting on a brave face. Then she looks back at me, lifting her chin, and I see the unmistakable fire burning in her eyes.

Hope flares in my chest.

Because it isn’t the look of someone who’s been broken. It’s the look of someone ready to fight.

I smooth her hair and kiss her on top of the head. “I’m going to fix this. I promise.”

She nods again, her eyes staring off into the distance. “No, Roman, we’re going to fix it.”

That’s my girl.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Kira

“But what about my court order? I haven’t finished my sessions. Marguerite still hasn’t signed off on anything.”

“Look, don’t worry about Marguerite,” Claire assures, “I’ve already reached out and dealt with her. We offered her a generous donation in exchange for her discretion on the matter.”

“Is that legal?”

For some reason, the thought of quitting on Marguerite right before I reach the finish line leaves a sinking feeling in my gut. She’s opened my eyes to a whole new perspective on life. Her methods—no matter how outlandish—seem to be working.