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Chapters (82)
  1. Cover
  2. ALSO BY JAMIE BRENNER
  3. PART ONE
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. PART TWO
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. PART THREE
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. Acknowledgments
  81. About the Author
  82. What’s next onyour reading list?

“I’m on a vacation of sorts,” Sloan said. “I decided to take a trip to the Cape.”

Elodie felt her stomach tense. “Oh? Good for you. Let’s talk after the holiday?”

“Actually, I’d love to talk sooner. I’m in Provincetown. How’s tomorrow afternoon, say two o’clock? I’m staying at a friend’s house. We can chat poolside.”

Elodie caught Celeste’s eye and waved her over. “Sure,” she said.

“Wonderful. I’ll text you the address. And please see if your sister and niece can join us? I figure we can wrap up the paperwork and celebrate with a bottle of champagne.”

Little alarm bells went off inside her.

“I can’t make any promises . . . but I will certainly stop by to say hello,” Elodie said.

Celeste reached her, dressed in one of her usual tunics, this one navy blue with little gold stars. She had a gerbera daisy tucked behind one ear, her sand-colored hair loose and slightly frizzy at the temples.

“Happy Fourth!” she said, smiling like she didn’t have a care in the world. It was infuriating.

“Well, it would be happy if I didn’t have the rep from Whitmore’s calling me,” Elodie said.

“On a holiday?”

“Listen: I don’t ask you for very much. For anything, to be exact. But this woman is in town and she wants to meet tomorrow. I need you to come, I need you to bring Gemma, and I need you to convince her to sign the contract. Can you do that for me?”

Celeste hesitated. “I’ll talk to her. But I can’t make any guarantees unless you at least tell her where Paulina’s ring is.”

“It’s not Paulina’s ring! That was just a publicity stunt and you know it. Are you really going to rewrite history like this?”

Tito walked over with a smile, handing Elodie a can of wine. Celeste waited for Elodie to inform him that she didn’t drink wine from a can, but instead her sister just smiled at him sweetly and pulled the aluminum tab open. Interesting.

“Listen, Elodie,” she said, “do you want to be right or do you want your signed contract?”

“I want the contract.”

“I’m not even asking you to give the ring to Gemma. Just let her know that it’s safe, let her see it. Tell her you’ll leave it to her children someday—anything. Just meet her halfway, and I’ll do my best with the paperwork.”

It was a reasonable request. The problem was, she couldn’t tell her the ring was safe. And she couldn’t let her see it.

The diamond was long gone.

46

The morning after the Fourth of July party, Gemma woke up to the news that she’d been summoned to a meeting with Sloan Pierce. Right there in Provincetown.