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“For all of us. The Edmunds cannot be trusted. They will use and manipulate you for their own gain. And they already did.”

A humorless laugh escapes me. “You don’t know her. You don’t know us.”

“I don’t need to because you already have blood on your hands because of them.”

I meet his stare head-on, my resolve unwavering. “I’m not ending shit. I love her, Dad. And no amount of family history or bullshit prejudice is going to change that.”

“Look at the papers.”

I reluctantly pick up the documents, scanning their contents. It’s the Nexus deal. “So what?”

“Tell me, Sebastian, how exactly did the Edmunds find out about the deal before it was even finalized?”

I stare at him, words failing me. No. Impossible.

“The deal fell through this morning.”

“Lil would never—”

“Your little girlfriend sang like a bird.”

My mind whirls back to some days ago when Lil’s uncle talked with her. “But they were fighting…”

“Are you really so blinded by your devotion to her?” He raises an eyebrow. “She failed the test, son. I was right to be suspicious.”

No. Lil wouldn’t do this.

“You’re unbelievable, you know that? You set her up. You fucking set her up to fail. Did you leak it?”

“Watch your tone. You let that girl get under your skin, and now look where it’s led you. Accusing your own family.” He stands, clasping my shoulder. “Be smarter than me, son. Don’t let love blind you to the truth. In the end, she’s just like her mother.”

With a humorless laugh, I drop onto the edge of my bed. If Lil had wanted revenge all this time, she’d already had plenty of opportunities to destroy me. She knows all my secrets, my hopes and fears and dreams. Instead, she’s only ever brought me comfort. Encouragement. Love.

She wouldn’t throw that away for anything. Certainly not for her uncle’s vendetta.

“This is her payback for what you did. Did you really think they let that go?”

“I didn’t have a choice. She wouldn’t…”

“You don’t know what lies Marc told his niece all her life.”

“But she can’t remember what happened,” I argue, grasping at straws. “She has no reason to betray me.”

“Convenient, isn’t it?” Dad sneers. “To just ‘forget.’ And you believe that lie from her, too?”

Were the tears in her eyes and the warmth in her smile nothing but lies? No, it can’t be.

“Look at the last page, son.”

My blood runs cold. It’s an official announcement of Lil and Jason’s engagement. From last year.

“What the fuck is this?” I hold up the paper, my hand shaking.

Dad gives me a pitying look. “The truth. She’s been playing you from the start.”

I stare at the words, willing them to change. Engaged. Lilian Edmunds and Jason Campbell. It can’t be real.

But it is. It’s right there in black and white.

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