Chapter 2

She looked away. "I'm just here to return your things. If it's convenient, could you give me back the heirlooms now?"

She held out the Blackwood brooch, the one passed down to every Blackwood bride.

Zachary's hand paused. Then, as if to spite her, he tightened his grip on Ember and gave a cold laugh. "Does it look convenient to you right now?"

Her chest tightened. Her fingers clamped around the jewelry box hard enough to bruise.

Even after all of this — even after she'd already decided to let go — it still hurt.

She remembered the first time they'd fought over Ember. Zachary had knelt in front of her and sworn on everything he believed in that all of this was only so he could finish repaying the debt and marry her.

But the debt had never stopped being owed.

Over and over again, he chose Ember over himself, over their wedding, over her.

Today, the last snowflake had finally fallen on the avalanche.

She could finally let go.

Sonia drew a breath and placed the Blackwood brooch on the table. "When it's convenient, have someone deliver the Harrington ring to me. That's all."

She had meant to sit down and discuss the annulment properly.

But one glance at Ember's fingers slipping beneath his shirt, and his body going tense — her stomach turned. She walked out.

"Wait!"

Zachary's voice followed her, openly threatening. "You're seriously calling it off?"

Her step faltered, but her voice didn't. "Yes."

He let out a cold laugh.

Then he stalked over and kicked the tower of boxes beside her.

"If you're breaking it off, why keep this junk around?"

He stared into her eyes, waiting — waiting for her to do what she'd done ninety-nine other times. Waiting for the tears, the trembling voice, the whispered "just say sorry, and we'll be fine."

Instead, she just nodded. "You're right. No point keeping them."

"If they bother you, throw out whatever I left here too."

His knuckles cracked from how hard he clenched his fists.

After a long silence, he spat, "What makes you think I'd even touch your things? Take them yourself. I don't want you coming back later using 'I forgot something' as an excuse to beg."

He was still waiting for her to crack, for the tears to come.

Just one flicker of hesitation from her, and he'd graciously coax her out of it.

But Sonia said nothing. She just moved, quietly, from one corner of the room to the next, erasing every trace of herself.

This penthouse was supposed to be theirs. Inside it were countless matching couple's items — snow globes, framed photos, monogrammed pillows. A shared childhood. A shared future.

She took them all down, one by one, with a blank face.

Then she saw the rumpled red silk on the bed, and her hand flew to her mouth. She gagged.

Those were the creases of two bodies. Evidence of his betrayal.

So they'd already gotten that far.

How naive she'd been, to only realize now.

She pulled herself together and dumped it all in the trash.

In the living room, Zachary and Ember were making soft, pointed noises — deliberate, she thought, so she could hear. One louder than the last.

Sonia didn't react. She finished packing in silence, then thoughtfully pulled the door closed for them on her way out.

Right before the door shut, Zachary's voice came through. "Sonia. You said you'd do anything for me, once, no questions asked. Does that still count?"

Her hand stilled on the handle.

She remembered — the summer after senior year of high school. They had gone hiking together. She'd gotten tired halfway up, slipped, and nearly rolled off a cliff. Zachary caught her, pulled her back up with his bare arm — and fractured the bone doing it. He hid it from her for the rest of the trip, pretending nothing had happened, just so she wouldn't panic.

When she found out, she had sworn she would do anything for him, anytime, no questions asked.

Back then he'd said he only wanted Sonia to be happy for life. She'd told him that didn't count, he had to pick something for himself.

He'd said as long as he had her, he didn't want anything else.

Now, finally, he was cashing it in.

What could he want from her?

She lifted her eyes. Zachary was pressing a gentle kiss to Ember's forehead. "Ember's been craving those artisan macarons from that bakery in SoHo. Go pick some up for her."

Sonia looked at him, long and steady. "Okay."