Page 47 of Twisted Paths

Her hair is still messy from sleep, her legs folded up beneath her, her fingers curled around the mug like it’s the only thing keeping her grounded.

But she’s too still.

Too quiet.

Her gaze is fixed on something far away, her lips pressed together in a way that immediately puts me on edge.

I frown, stepping closer, leaning down to kiss her lightly on the lips. “Morning.”

She doesn’t kiss me back.

My stomach drops.

Something’s wrong.

I slide into the chair across from her, watching the way she keeps her fingers curled around her mug, like she’s bracing herself.

Something is off.

“Nancy,” I say carefully. “Are you okay?”

She doesn’t answer right away. Just exhales slowly, then lifts her gaze to mine.

And when she speaks, her voice is calm. Controlled.

“Who are you, Luke?” She pauses. “Or should I call you John Brooks?”

My stomach tightens.

Before I can respond, she pushes a sheet of paper across the table towards me.

I glance down.

A royalty statement.

One of mine.

The name John Brooks printed neatly across the top, the figures beneath it a clear reminder of the life I’ve kept separate from her.

My jaw tenses.

She folds her arms. “I wasn’t snooping,” she says, voice even. “I saw it by coincidence when I was making tea.”

I drag a hand over my jaw, exhaling slowly. No point denying it.

I sit back, meeting her gaze. “I’m John Brooks. I mean, I’m Luke Evans, but my pen name is John Brooks.”

Her expression doesn’t change.

I grip the edge of the table, keeping my voice steady. “I was a criminal defence lawyer. That part was true. But I haven’t been one for a while.”

She stays quiet, watching me like she’s waiting for more.

I rub a hand over my face, exhaling slowly. “I’m a private person, always have been.” I glance down at the paper between us, then back at her. “But working in criminal defence made me even more… guarded.”

Her expression stays unreadable, but I know she’s listening.

I lean back in my chair, fingers tapping lightly against the table. “When you spend years defending people accused of some of the worst things imaginable, it changes you. You see what people are capable of. You see the darkest parts of human nature, and you start expecting the worst from everyone.”

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