Evans' POV

I slipped out of bed before dawn, careful not to wake Hailey, she looked peaceful in sleep, her face soft and unguarded, not twisted with the confusion and hurt I'd been putting there.

I left a note on the nightstand, "Early breakfast meeting, be back soon, love you," another lie to add to the growing mountain.

The drive to Valarie's apartment felt like driving to my own execution, every red light was a chance to turn back, every turn was an opportunity to choose differently, but the threats echoed in my head, Hailey's life, Nancy's secret, the recording that could destroy everything.

I parked in the underground garage,...