Page 83 of Lethal Vows

She nods in understanding. “I know. I just wanted you to know that before you run out of here like a bat out of hell in the morning. You’ve always been so very good at that.”

My eyebrows furrow as she locks the front door. “Good at what?”

“Running.”

I huff out a breath, and she gestures—no malice intended—with her hands. “Outside of the courtroom, I mean.” Those words don’t make it any better.

“Good night, Rya,” she adds before stepping into the hallway that leads to her room. And the way she says my name now feels different. No more secrets to hide behind.

My two worlds have collided.

Past and now.

CHAPTER54

Rya

The next morning, I decide to walk from Monica’s. I wander the bustling streets of New York, the city busy with life even in the early morning, and somehow, I manage to walk aimlessly until midday. I can’t help but think about many questions and conclusions, most of them centered around Crue.

Right now, the most pressing thing is…how I am going to get out of this marriage.

And there is the small question of…whether it would really be that bad if I didn’t.

I squash that idea pretty quickly, though.

There is all this pressure not only from him but also from everyone else. I hate him. But there is something there that I’m not willing to acknowledge. So I push the thought down further because I’m certain that’s the issue causing the anxious swirls in my stomach.

When I look up from the sidewalk to my building entrance, I’m surprised that Mr. Luca is standing there and discussing something with my doorman.

“Miss Ricci, do you know this man?” the doorman asks.

“Yeah, he’s my…”Boss isn’t the right word, “… colleague. What are you doing here, Mr. Luca?”

He’s holding flowers and a bottle of champagne. “Well, I didn’t realize you would take a few days to cool off after the case, so I didn’t have the chance to give you this in congratulations!” He offers me a bouquet of mixed flowers, and there’s a distinct smell in there I don’t like, and worse than that, I pale at the sight of the champagne. Yep, it’s still too soon.

“How did you find my address?”

Mr. Luca suddenly dips his chin and clears his throat, seeming embarrassed. “Oh, sorry. It was in your employment file. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if it was up to date since you filed that information like ten years ago.”

I study him.

This is definitely weird and I can’t help but furrow my brows.

“I just wanted to check in and see if you had time for dinner in celebration,” Mr. Luca says.

I stand there awkwardly, shifting from one foot to the other, unsure as to whether he’s asking me out for dinner for work or a date.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Luca, but I have plans today. Perhaps some other time,” I reply gently, not wanting to encourage him but also not wanting to burn any bridges at work.

And then there’s Crue.

Agreeing to dinner with another manfor any reasonwould be like setting them up for a death blow. I hate that I now take that into consideration.

“Oh, of course. No problem. Well, I hope you enjoy the flowers. And again, congratulations. The board is extremely proud of your accomplishments. And the Torrisi family were clearly grateful with the generous bonus they sent through.”

“Bonus?” I ask.

He’s already walking away when he nods in confirmation. “Yes. The accounting department is processing it today, so you should receive the payment in the next day or so.”

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