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Several months later, Yardley saw Nancy again.

She was working as a server at an upscale private club in downtown Austin. She didn’t recognize him. She was too busy trying to do her job right.

The manager had warned her before the shift. The guys in the private dining room were all important. Board members. Big donors. She couldn’t mess this up.

So Nancy gave it everything she had. She kept her back straight. Her movements steady. She tried not to make a single mistake.

But the harder you try not to screw up, the more you end up screwing up.

When she reached across the table to pour wine for the guest at the head of the table, her hand shook. Just a little. But enough.

Red wine splashed straight onto Yardley’s lap.

Nancy froze. Her whole body went stiff. She bowed her head immediately. "I am so sorry, sir. Let me get you a napkin."

Yardley’s brow furrowed for half a second. His voice was flat. "No need."

Nancy backed out of the room, her face burning. She felt like she wanted to disappear into the floor.

Yardley hadn’t meant to be harsh. He had spoken quickly so the other guys at the table wouldn’t give her a hard time. If he brushed it off, they would too.

The dinner dragged on. Nancy could hear them inside, toasting over and over. Glass after glass. By the time the guests started leaving, Yardley felt something wrong. A strange heat crawling up his chest. His skin felt too tight. His mind started to blur.

He excused himself to the hallway bathroom. That was when he ran into Nancy again.

Nancy wasn’t stupid. She had figured out that his coldness earlier had actually been him protecting her from the other men.

She saw him now. His face was flushed red. His breathing was uneven. She frowned. "Sir, are you okay?"

Yardley looked at her. Her skin was soft. Her eyes were worried. The heat in his chest flared hotter.

"I’m fine." He waved her off and started walking toward the exit.

He knew what this was now. Someone had slipped something into his drink at dinner. It was a setup. If he stayed here any longer, something would happen. Something that could be used against him later.

He had to leave. Now.

Nancy watched him stumble toward the door. She hung back, keeping her distance. But when he suddenly swayed and nearly hit the wall, she rushed forward and caught his arm.

"Let me help you to your car," she said.

Yardley didn’t have the energy to argue. "Thanks."

That was the second time they met.

--

After Nancy broke up with him, Yardley spent months going over everything in his head. Again and again.

He would lie in bed at night and replay their first two meetings. The bike accident on campus. The wine spill at the club. Were those really just random chances? Or had she planned them from the start?

He pulled himself out of the memory and looked at Nancy now. She was sitting on the edge of the chair, her hands folded in her lap. Waiting.

"I am not trying to divorce you," she said.

Yardley raised an eyebrow. "Then why did you hire a divorce lawyer? Are you asking for a friend?"

Nancy realized he had already seen the business card on her vanity. She pressed her lips together. "Michael Reed does not just handle divorces. He also works on criminal cases."

Yardley went still. "Criminal cases?"

"I am sorry," Nancy said quietly. "There may have been some misunderstandings between us before. But I had my reasons."

Yardley’s eyes darkened. He stepped forward. Slow. Deliberate. One step at a time.

Nancy backed up instinctively until her back hit the wall. His hand came up and pressed against the surface next to her head, trapping her.

"Oh?" His voice was low. Dangerous. "Then why don’t you tell me what kind of misunderstanding we had?"

Nancy gave up. "I don’t remember. You know I lost my memory. I have not fully recovered the details about the misunderstanding yet."

Yardley let out a cold laugh. "You don’t remember. But I can tell you."

His voice dropped. Flat. Sharp.

"You were the one who pursued me first."

"You were the one who broke up with me."

"And you were the one who secretly gave birth to our son and left him at an orphanage."

He paused. His jaw tightened.

"I don’t know what kind of misunderstanding could make you that heartless. So here is the deal, Nancy. You owe Orion. You want to leave me? Not happening."

He turned and walked back into the bedroom.

The door clicked shut behind him.

Nancy stayed in the chair. Her legs were shaking. Her hands were shaking. Everything was shaking.

She had seen it. The hatred in his eyes. Clear as day.

He married her to punish her.

Nancy thought about how they had gone from lovers to strangers. From strangers to enemies. And now they were forced to be husband and wife.

Her chest felt heavy. Complicated.

She had been planning to tell him about Xander. About what she had found in those phone records. About the fall. About everything.

But now? Forget it.

Even if she told him, it wouldn’t change anything. He had already made up his mind about her.