Chapter 4

Mia had taken sleeping pills. After treatment, she woke up and was moved out of intensive care.

The sight of Ethan at her bedside set her crying again. She hit him, called him a liar, and pushed at his chest. He stood there and took it.

Her movements were weak, but the room filled with them. A plastic cup tipped from the tray. Ethan caught it before it hit the floor, set it upright, and returned to being struck. He looked almost grateful for each blow. Pain was proof that she cared. Ethan had always preferred emotional accounting when he believed he was the asset.

I stayed outside until a nurse adjusted Mia's IV and left. I told myself I was giving them privacy. In truth, I wanted to see whether Mia's anger had edges or an exit.

When she was too exhausted to keep going, he bent down and gathered her against him.

"I'll make it up to you."

She shook her head.

"Don't give me money. I hate money. I just wanted us to have a quiet life together. I didn't care if we were poor. You lied to me. You made me the other woman."

Her fingers clenched in his shirt.

"I hate you, Ethan."

He kept kissing the top of her head.

"I'm sorry."

Then, in a low, rough voice, "Mia, I'm going to marry you."

He closed his eyes as he held her. He didn't see the way hers lit up.

I watched from the doorway and sighed to myself.

So this was it. We'd finally reached the day.

Ethan had a meeting to attend. He fed her some soup before leaving, then hurried back to the office.

I went into her room with a gift bag. Sitting beside the bed, I took her hand. I'd barely opened my mouth to offer comfort when she spoke.

"Don't bother. I'm not leaving Mr. Cole."

My hand went still around hers.

"Rich men only have so many tricks. I knew exactly who Mr. Cole was. Just like you."

She looked up at me and smiled.

"I should thank you for that email. You made him feel guilty enough to marry me."

The smile she gave me was not triumphant in the loud, careless way I would have expected. It was controlled. She had watched me enter with fruit and flowers, watched me sit down like an older woman prepared to forgive everyone, and decided she wanted me to know I had lost.

"You bought the house before my email," I said.

"I made an investment. You understand those."

I did. That was the irritating part.

"And the pills?"

Her gaze shifted to the window. "I woke up, didn't I?"

It was not an answer, and I did not supply one for her. She had been ill enough to need treatment. Whatever calculation came before or after belonged to her, not to my imagination.

Oh.

She was an actress, too. Better than Ethan, as it turned out. She'd fooled him, and she'd fooled me.

I sat quietly for a moment. Then I raised my phone.

"You know I recorded that, right?"

Her face drained. She stared at the phone, her lips trembling.

I smiled. "Just kidding."

Too young. No patience. She could at least have saved her victory speech for the wedding.

I looked at the gift bag, then at her, and felt tired of the whole thing. I'd actually worried about her.

I let go of her hand and stood.

"Congratulations. You landed Ethan Cole."

All that effort. What a prize.