ARLENE

When I was done explaining, the tension in the room had risen to three times what it was when the conversation started. My father’s cold stare was fixated on Cole.

I had shared only the parts I felt were important for him to hear, deliberately leaving out other details Mirela could potentially use to her advantage later. There was no telling what she’d do with the information she’d just gathered.

As much as I wanted my father to know the kind of person she truly was, now wasn’t the time. This was about shattering his perception of Cole—and judging by his expression, I had done just that.

“How dare...