Chapter Three

POV: Calla Reyes

“You kissed me to shut me up.”

I didn’t mean to say it out loud. The words slipped out as soon as I stepped onto the balcony, away from the flashing cameras and the weight of Damon’s hand around mine.

“You didn’t seem to mind,” a voice behind me said.

I turned sharply.

It wasn’t Damon.

The man leaning against the stone railing was tall, sharp-featured, and familiar in a way that made my stomach knot.

“Logan?” I asked.

He smirked. “You still remember me.”

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“I should be asking you that. I thought you were allergic to designer gowns and fake smiles.”

I folded my arms. “I’m not in the mood.”

He stepped closer. “Neither am I. But I had to see it for myself.”

“See what?”

“That you really married him.”

“This is not your business.”

“You disappeared, Calla. One day you were fighting eviction, the next you’re arm candy for a billionaire.”

“I don’t owe you an explanation.”

“You do when your name starts showing up on merger documents linked to Voss Global.”

My chest tightened. “Are you stalking me?”

He laughed. “I work in the same circle now. Damon Voss has enemies, Calla. I just didn’t expect you to be sleeping next to one of them.”

“We’re married. That’s public knowledge.”

“You’re not wearing a ring.”

I looked down at my bare hand. I’d forgotten.

He stepped closer. “You look miserable.”

“Do you want something or are you just here to ruin my night?”

“I want to know if he forced you into this.”

“No.”

“Then why are you with him?”

I hesitated.

He saw it.

“That’s what I thought,” he said.

I clenched my fists. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“I know you wouldn’t sign up for this unless someone had a knife to your throat.”

“You don’t know him.”

“I don’t need to. His reputation speaks for itself.”

I stepped back. “I can handle him.”

“He’s using you.”

“Why do you care?”

“Because you used to matter to me.”

I stared at him. He was the last person I expected to show up at a black-tie gala in Manhattan.

“What are you doing here, Logan?” I asked.

He pulled something from his pocket. A flash drive.

“I have something you need to see. About Damon.”

“I’m not interested.”

“You will be.”

“I don’t play spy games.”

“This isn’t a game. He’s lying to you.”

“I already know that.”

He held the drive out. “Then prove it.”

I didn’t take it.

“I don’t trust you,” I said.

He leaned in, lowering his voice. “Neither should you trust him.”

Footsteps echoed behind us.

I turned fast, heart racing.

Damon stepped into the light, eyes locked on Logan.

“You lost?” he asked.

Logan didn’t flinch. “Just talking.”

“About what?”

“Old times.”

“I’m sure you’ve got plenty to catch up on,” Damon said. “But my wife has other obligations.”

“She doesn’t seem too thrilled to fulfill them.”

Damon stepped in front of me. “You’ve made your point. Now leave.”

“I’m not afraid of you,” Logan said.

“You should be.”

“I’m not the one lying to her.”

“Calla knows exactly what this is.”

Logan looked at me. “Do you?”

I didn’t answer.

Damon’s jaw tightened. “Get out.”

Logan didn’t move.

“I said leave,” Damon repeated.

“Fine,” Logan said. “But don’t say I didn’t warn her.”

He dropped the flash drive into my hand as he walked away.

I stared at it.

Damon’s voice was low. “What did he say to you?”

“Nothing important.”

“Did he threaten you?”

“No.”

“Did he give you that?”

I hesitated.

He reached for it.

I pulled my hand back.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I don’t know yet.”

“Give it to me.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s not yours.”

I met his eyes. “You’re scared of what’s on it.”

“I don’t get scared.”

“Then why are you shaking?”

He grabbed my wrist.

“Don’t play games with me,” he said.

“Or what? You’ll throw me off the balcony?”

His grip loosened.

“Logan was right,” I said. “You only get close when you want something.”

He stepped back. “You think you know me?”

“I think I know enough.”

He laughed once. Cold. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“I know you lied about your ex. I know you dragged me into this to protect your seat on that board. I know you’d rather kiss a stranger in public than answer a real question.”

He didn’t deny any of it.

“You’re a coward, Damon.”

His eyes darkened. “You think I’m the villain.”

“I don’t think. I know.”

“Then you should know how villains deal with betrayal.”

“I didn’t betray you.”

“You talked to him.”

“He came to me.”

“You should have walked away.”

“And let him call me a puppet while you stood by?”

His voice dropped. “You are under my name. My contract. My control.”

I stepped closer. “Then tear it up.”

“Is that what you want?”

“I want the truth.”

“I warned you from day one.”

“That doesn’t excuse anything.”

We stood in silence.

I slipped the flash drive into my purse and walked past him.

“Calla.”

I didn’t stop.

He caught my arm. “Where are you going?”

“Somewhere you’re not.”

“You’re not leaving this event alone.”

“Watch me.”

I shoved the door open and walked into the hall. People turned. Cameras followed. I didn’t care.

I found a staff elevator and rode it to the lobby. My shoes clicked against the marble as I moved past the guards.

I stepped into the cold, flagged a cab, and climbed in.

The driver turned. “Where to?”

I pulled the flash drive from my purse and stared at it.

Then I gave him an address I hadn’t said in years.

He nodded and pulled into traffic.

My phone buzzed.

Damon.

I silenced it.

Then again.

And again.

I ignored them all.

The car pulled up outside an old apartment building on the Lower East Side. I climbed out and headed upstairs.

Inside, I borrowed a laptop from the tenant I still technically paid rent to. My old roommate was gone for the weekend.

I plugged in the flash drive.

Files loaded. Documents. Voice memos. Scans.

I clicked the first one.

It was a scanned contract.

Voss Global. Merger. Hidden partner.

I opened the next file.

My heart stopped.

My name was on it.

Calla Reyes.

Only it wasn’t a marriage certificate.

It was a payment receipt.

And the sender was listed as a private offshore account in Damon’s name.

I opened the third file.

It was a voice recording.

Logan’s voice.

“You want her in? Fine. But if she finds out the truth, this whole plan goes to hell.”

Another voice replied.

Damon’s.

“She won’t. I’ll keep her close. She won’t know she was part of the buyout until it’s over.”