Ethan pressed his face against her coat.
“Did I do something?”
“No. Never.”
At 8:22 p.m., Andrew finally sent a message.
Come home. We need to talk before your family ruins everything.
Olivia read it once and forwarded it to Marcus.
His response arrived quickly.
That is useful. Keep everything. Do not warn him.
When Olivia returned to the house, Andrew was standing in the driveway of their Coronado home. He still wore uniform trousers and a white undershirt. His hair was damp, as though he had rushed through a shower. Panic had replaced the confidence of a man who had mistaken charm for protection.
He approached the SUV.
“Olivia, listen to me.”
She locked the doors.
Ethan flinched.
Andrew noticed. For a brief second, shame crossed his face before anger replaced it.
“You called Marcus?” he demanded. “Do you understand what you’ve done?”
Olivia lowered the window only a few inches.
