By Thursday, Ava had convinced herself to give Daniel a real chance. He was kind, thoughtful, the kind of man who deserved her time. More importantly, he was safe—everything Ethan Blackwell wasn’t.

So when Daniel invited her to dinner at a new Italian restaurant downtown, she said yes.

“You look amazing,” Daniel said when he picked her up. His smile was warm, genuine, and it steadied her nerves. She wore a sleek black dress, simple but elegant, with her hair pinned loosely at the nape ...