“Your three-year-old has two hundred friends?” Thomas asks.

“Shut up,” Lucas says.

I wince. “You shouldn’t have skipped it. Seriously. I’m fine.”

Lucas throws his hands in the air. “You haven’t returned a single call! I’ve left a dozen messages. Syl, what else could I do? This guy is clearly holding you hostage. He’s taken your computer, phone, and probably done a number on your head, am I right?”

I sink onto the desk chair and Moose settles beside me. I’m not sure. Lucas is here, I should be relieved, and yet . . .

“What have you told him?” Lucas asks. “Because whatever it is, I’ve already spoken to his editor, threatened to sue if it’s printed. And I won’t stop with the paper,” he says, finger pointed at Thomas. “I will bankrupt you, your children, hell, your grandchildren will still be paying long after you’re six feet under.”

“I’m here because Sylvie wants me to be,” Thomas says from his seat on the couch. “If she doesn’t, I’ll leave. Sylvie, what do you want me to do?”

Lucas warns, “You’re playing with fire. Tell the reporter to go.”

He’s always had my back. “Thomas, maybe you should—”

“You know that she has panic attacks and probably an ulcer?” Thomas interrupts, eyes drilling into Lucas.

“Whatever is going on with Sylvie’s health is none of your business. If there’s a problem, I’ll take care of it.”

“You haven’t so far,” Thomas says.

Lucas waves a dismissive hand. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Thomas stands. “I know that Sylvie has no friends or meaningful romantic relationships. That she’s seen half a dozen therapists, none for long. Was the plan always to isolate her so you’d maintain total control?”

“Stop talking about me like I’m not in the room! Lucas didn’t—”

“Sylvie,” Thomas explodes, “he told you he’d cancel your next appearance if you didn’t cheat!”

“Get the fuck outta here,” Lucas growls.

Thomas’s eyes bore into mine. “You said you wanted the truth. If you meant it, then start here.”

I’m stretched to breaking between them. Lucas has always protected me; he believes that what I do helps people, that I’m one of the good guys. His objective from day one was to make me a star. And I wanted that because being a psychic fit. Thomas started our relationship lying to me; his goal is to expose me; ruin my career. But one thing about Thomas has remained steadfast—he’s never lied about believing in me. His reasons for that have been complicated, some he didn’t even understand, but he’s only had one goal—finding out the truth.

“Sylvie, pack up,” Lucas says. “I’ve gotten us a suite.”

The question is out before I know that I’m going to ask it. “Lucas, you’ve never asked me why I didn’t try to contact my biological parents, on the other side. Why?”

“What are you talking about?”

“She’s talking about her birth parents, Becky and Seth Peters,” Thomas says. “They supposedly died in a plane crash. Turns out, the crash story was a lie.”