“So we’re outside the mistress’s rental property, right? And at first, I thought it was vacant. It’s so…tidy. There’s no lawn furniture, or signs, or outdoor rugs…nothing.”

“So is it vacant?”

“No,” Vera starts. “Actually—”

“No, no, no,” Nate tuts. “I want to tell her. This was my idea.”

Vera snorts. “What does it matter?”

“Because you said this was a dumb idea,” he counters.

“At the time,” she deadpans, “I thought it was.”

“I would like a written apology from you both,” Nate says smugly.

“Yeah,” Vera replies. “That’s not going to happen.”

“Well, maybe I won’t—”

“Guys.” I snatch up the haphazard pile I’ve made, pushing to my feet and throwing the entire thing onto the table. “Can you just tell me why you called?”

“Right,” Nate answers contritely. “So, it’s not empty. Actually, you’ll never guess who’s living there.”

He pauses for effect, and I roll my eyes as I stoop to grab one last document I left on the floor. I’m just about to add it to the pile on my table as Nate starts talking again, but a signature at the bottom catches my eye. Nate’s voice fades a bit as I stare at it in disbelief, scanning the rest of the page and feeling my heart rate quicken with every new line. I start sifting through the other pages, and even though there isn’t another occurrence of the signature—not that there needs to be, the one is damning enough—there is an obvious pattern. One that has my blood rushing in my ears.

“Hello?” Nate sounds impatient. “Did you hear me? Are you even listening?”

“No,” I tell him honestly. “Sorry. I wasn’t.”

“Oh my God, stop spacing out. This is important! I think we really have something here.”

I swallow thickly, glancing at the signature on the first page again before setting it gently back on the table.

“Yeah…” I say breathlessly. “Yeah, I think I do too.”

OceanofPDF.com

Thirty

“You are squirming, Danica.”

I will my knee to stop bouncing, glancing at Bianca, who is smirking at me from her seat. “They’re late.”

“Perhaps Lorenzo needs time to fix his hair,” Bianca muses. “It is looking very thin lately.”

My mouth quirks. “Not everyone ages gracefully, I guess.”

“It is a gift, this is true.”

“At least we’ll be the ones doing the surprising today,” I tell her. “We can make fools of them for a change.”

Bianca makes a disgusted sound. “I never knew Lorenzo would be so sure of himself that he would stoop so low. I should have known better.”

“Lorenzo?”

“I spoke with him,” she says.

“What?” I turn in my seat. “When?”

“He called me a few days ago.” Her expression is resigned, not sad, just…final. “He wanted to try to bully me into going away. I told him if he thinks I would, he is much more of an idiot than I thought. But he told me as much that day. That it was his idea to use the truth against me.”

My pulse quickens; it’s a truth I’ve already arrived at on my own, that Ezra didn’t betray me like I accused him of doing, but hearing it plainly…it’s a strange emotion. Like guilt and relief all wrapped into one.

“And you’re…okay? To proceed as planned?”

She nods heavily. “I am ready to put it behind me.”

“I just want to make sure that it’s not too much for you, what we found.”

She shakes her head. “I have made peace with Lorenzo’s mistakes. I will not mourn what I cannot change.”

“Listen,” I tell her, placing my hand over hers. “Today, he’s going to be mourning his mistakes.” I haven’t told her everything; there are people who need to hear the things I’ve uncovered first, as selfish as that makes me, but knowing that she’ll have more justice than what she will surely gain today steels my resolve. “I promise you that, Bianca. And this time, I won’t break it.”

Bianca pats the back of my hand, covering it with her free one, smiling at me warmly. “You never did, dear,” she assures me. “You are a powerful woman. I knew this from our first meeting. I am glad I chose you.”

I have to swallow around the thick lump that forms in my throat; I don’t trust my voice. I nod at her instead, her approval meaning more to me than she’ll ever know. Bianca Casiraghi is a culmination of hardship and tribulation being overcome and recycled into power. I can only hope that one day I can be half the woman she is.

“I’m glad you chose me too,” I finally manage tightly.

The courtroom doors burst open before she can reply, and we turn in our seats to watch Lorenzo following an unexpected face. I frown at Eli Hart leading him to his seat, turning back to the door to search for Ezra and wondering why Eli would be joining him so late in the game. When he never shows, my confusion only intensifies.

“Sorry we’re late, Your Honor,” Eli says, addressing the judge. “There have been some changes to Mr. Casiraghi’s counsel.”

Judge Harding arches one brow. “I can see that. The other Mr. Hart won’t be joining us?”

“Unfortunately,” Eli answers. “Ezra Hart is no longer employed at our firm.”

My mouth parts in surprise, my eyes widening. The fuck? Ezra doesn’t work for Alexander anymore? Did he quit? Was he fired? What about his mom? Did he not work there when he came to see me? The questions bounce around my brain like a dropped rubber ball. I do my best to clear the shock from my face.

“Are you still prepared to continue?” Judge Harding asks.

Eli nods. “I have been familiar with the case, and I’m confident that I’m still good to proceed.”

“Very well then,” Judge Harding says with a nod. “We can continue.” She adjusts her glasses, looking at her notes. “Now, Ms. Pierce, you may proceed with your witness.”

“We are, Your Honor,” I say, standing and trying to calm my racing heart. “Before we give closing arguments, I would like to call Anton Andrews to the stand.”

“Objection,” Eli says. “Mr. Andrews wasn’t listed as a witness.”

“Your Honor,” I counter calmly. “Mr. Andrews has been previously deposed. He is on the witness list, and he has already been cross-examined once during the course of this trial.”

Judge Harding looks thoughtful, glancing back at my potential witness with a glimmer of interest in her eyes. I hold my breath for a few precious seconds as I wait for her to decide, only exhaling in relief when she dips her head in a brief nod. “Mr. Hart, Ms. Pierce is allowed to call any witness that has already been listed.” She eyes him over her glasses. “Perhaps you aren’t as prepared for this case as you thought.”

“Thank you, Your Honor,” I say. I straighten, turning back to Anton, and gesturing between him and the stand. “Mr. Andrews, if you please.”

The man looks like a baby deer as he wobbles from his seat, his eyes darting between me and the stand and Lorenzo, who won’t so much as look at him. I keep my expression neutral as the bailiff swears Anton in, trying not to let my excitement show.

“Mr. Andrews,” I greet him as I take a few steps closer. “Sorry to take you by surprise, I know you’ve already answered my questions once before.”

His eyes glance toward Lorenzo’s table, but I don’t look to see if Lorenzo acknowledges him. I wouldn’t, if I were him. “T-that’s all right,” Anton responds shakily.

“Can you tell us again how long you’ve worked for Mr. Casiraghi?”

“Nine years, ma’am.”

“And what did you do for work before being hired by his company?”