Alyssa stormed inside, ponytail swinging, phone in her hand, already raising her voice. She didn’t even knock.
“What is she doing?” I whispered.
“Making it worse,” Mark muttered. “She’s furious they’re dragging her name into this.”
HR lifted a hand to quiet her, but Alyssa talked straight over it.
Someone slid a manila folder across the table toward Cole.
He stopped mid-sentence.
His entire posture collapsed, like the air had been knocked out of him.
**
About twenty minutes later, the door opened again. Cole stepped into the hallway—and froze when he saw me.
“Paige,” he said softly.
I didn’t move.
He walked toward me. “This isn’t what it looks like, honey.”
“I’m not doing this in front of strangers. You’ve done enough of that already.”
Mark snorted quietly behind me.
“You said you’d send money,” I told him. “I want it in writing. Then maybe you’ll finally learn how to live without hiding behind a paycheck and lies.”
His jaw tightened. “Paige—”
