It shouldn’t have felt like a betrayal. I should’ve expected this from her. She’d always had a vindictive streak. And she’d had to get one last payday out of her relationship with me. But she’d forgotten one convenient fact. After my identity had been exposed, and my anonymity destroyed in the art world, I’d had everyone who worked for me sign non-disclosure agreements. Lara had just royally fucked herself. And not in a good way.

I jotted out a text to my lawyer with a link to the article.

Me: Shut this down. Then I want full legal action.

I was done playing games with Lara. Done letting her screw me over while telling me it was for my own good. She thought that I would never take action against her because of some bond that, in all actuality, meant nothing. But she was about to find out how wrong she was.

Long, slender fingers wrapped around my arm. “What happened?”

I opened my mouth to answer but couldn’t seem to find the words. Instead, I simply opened the article and handed Shay my phone. She scanned the screen in front of her. After a minute, her head snapped up. “That bitch.”

“I can’t think of a better word for her.”

“Why? Because you told her she couldn’t sell that painting? So what? She had others.”

I ran a hand through my hair, taking out my frustration on the strands. “Probably because I fired her.”

Shay’s mouth dropped open. “Brody…you didn’t do that because of me, did you?”

“No. I did it because I can’t trust her.” I let out a laugh devoid of any warmth. “I don’t think I ever could. That’s the most messed-up thing of all. I think she’s been manipulating things, swinging them in her favor since day one.”

Shay wrapped her arms around my waist. “I’m so sorry. That’s not a truth that’s easy to come to terms with. But sometimes, we need those wake-up calls. And it will make you appreciate the people in your life who do have your best interests at heart.”

It was the first time she’d been the one to initiate this kind of contact. The first time an embrace had been her doing. My arms moved around her, one hand dipping under her fall of hair. As wild as it was at the moment, it was still so incredibly soft. Strands of silk. I rested my chin on top of her head and breathed her in. Hints of lavender that must’ve been in her lotion or shampoo. It soothed some of the torn edges of the morning. “Thank you.”

“For what?” she asked against my chest.

“Just this.” I held her a little tighter as if to show her.

“It’s never a hardship to wrap my arms around you, Brody.”