“Ezra,” I breathed. “I haven’t seen you in⁠—”

“Ten years or something, right?” he asked, a sheepish smile spreading across his face before it dropped. “I heard about your dad. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for it.”

My heart ached.

Ezra was a good person. Someone genuine and caring, even when I hadn’t been.

After everything happened, I cut ties with everyone—well, they cut ties with me. No one wanted to be friends with the girl who tried to slander one of the world’s richest men.

But coming face-to-face with my past was bittersweet because I was actually happy to see him.

“Who’s this?” Warren asked, his voice low. It was tinged with something dangerous that made my skin tingle.

Ezra’s eyes shot to him. Hesitantly, I shifted my gaze to his. My breath caught at the dark look that washed over him.

“I went to school with Addison,” he said and then added with a light laugh, “I guess I wouldn’t call us friends, but I always wanted to be. Maybe this is my chance.”

The words hit harder than he probably meant to.

Why did that make my eyes burn?

“Addi doesn’t want⁠—”

“Warren?” A voice said from behind us, and I turned. It was a tall brunette with a bombshell figure, and Warren’s eyes widened when he saw her.

They knew each other; that much was clear. The woman’s eyes were lustful, giving Warren a heated look that had bitterness sprouting across my tongue.

He shot Dominic an accusatory look, but he just raised his hands in the air in surrender.

“I tried to tell you, but you hung up on me.”

The tension skyrocketed as the woman closed in on us.

Warren was stiff. Dominic looked like he wanted to run away. And the closer the woman got, the more intense her gaze was.

Why the fuck is she looking at Warren like that?

She had a one-track mind, like the entire world around us had disappeared. There was a slow, sultry smile spreading across her face, and she was… completely ignoring me.

Oh.

Realization shot through me at the same time annoyance did, but I shoved that one down.

I almost wanted to laugh. She was… Warren’s ex or something? Or maybe someone he rejected? Someone he fucked?

Whoever she was, Warren wanted nothing to do with her. And I could barely keep the excitement from showing on my face.

“I’ll leave you guys to it,” I said, giving Warren a small smile. His gaze narrowed at me.

“I think not⁠—”

“Perfect,” the woman said. “Warren, a moment?”

When she spoke, I hesitated. I had wanted to make him uncomfortable, but now my stupid hand twitched as if it wanted to grab his sleeve and stop him from going with her.

“Addi,” Warren warned, and I forced myself to step away with a smile.