Chapter 5

When I hurried home and keyed in the code, I got the error tone instead.

That same code I'd punched in tens of thousands of times now shrieked back a harsh little warning.

The blood froze in my veins. Refusing to accept it, I entered the code I knew by heart all over again.

Still wrong.

Every time we'd fought before, whenever I threw a fit and stormed out, Nathan would change the code as a way of warning me.

This time was no different from all the others.

Just as I was thinking about texting Nathan, the door opened.

Ada stood there in the latest-season pajamas, breezy as anything. "Harper, I knew you were just sulking. Come in and eat, dinner's ready. Nate made braised shrimp, lucky you."

The way she carried herself, you'd think she was the lady of this house and I was the outsider.

I walked in without a word and headed straight for the living room.

Only to find the wall completely bare.

Right then Nathan came out of the kitchen in an apron, and when he saw me, something knowing flickered in his eyes.

"All right, you've thrown your tantrum, now come eat. And next time don't say hurtful things like that just to get out of cooking."

In his eyes, my solemnly asking to break up was nothing more than dodging chores and cooking.

"I—"

I'd barely started when Ada cut in. "Harper, what a great boyfriend you've got. He even knows to look after me, his little mother-in-law! You're so lucky!"

As she said it, she made a point of gesturing at the pajamas she wore, and at the jewelry on her.

Count it all up, and nearly everything on Ada's body was bought by Nathan.

My own clothes hadn't been replaced in two or three years, and my jewelry was mostly hand-me-downs Ada hadn't wanted or leftover freebies.

I used to think that as long as Nathan loved me, none of these surface things mattered at all.

Later I realized how badly I'd been wrong.

Where a man's money goes, that's where his love goes.

That saying didn't come from nowhere.

Seeing me go quiet, Nathan assumed I was upset, and he ruffled my hair, coaxing softly. "Don't be upset. You studied fashion design, didn't you? You can just design your own."

"Ada's a lawyer. Sometimes she needs to show up looking presentable, so she can put her clients at ease."

My face blank, I shot back, "So you bought her pajamas while you were at it? Or does she wear pajamas to meet clients?"

"Harper, our work is legitimate, it's not that kind of… adult venue." Ada defended herself on reflex.

Nathan's face tightened, and he dropped his voice. "Stop it. I think you've genuinely lost your grip, spouting whatever nonsense comes to mind. Apologize to Ada right now, this whole thing—"

"Apologize for what?"

I cut him off, staring him dead in the eyes. "Nathan, shouldn't you be explaining where the painting on that wall went?"

Following the direction of my finger, guilt flickered in Nathan's eyes and he looked away. "I think I put it in the storage room. That painting's pretty valuable, after all. I was worried it'd get damaged."

"Nathan, lying doesn't suit you."

My face cold, I turned and headed for the storage room.

I knew Nathan was lying, but unless I threw the proof in his face, he'd never admit it.

Just like the way he played favorites with Ada. As long as I didn't have hard evidence to nail him with, he could always talk his way out of it with that silver tongue.

Nathan rushed to block me, frantic. "I—I remember now. I left the painting at the office. I'll bring it back to you tomorrow, all right?"

"Which painting? It wouldn't happen to be the one you handed me and had me give to Silas Chavez, would it?"

Ada clapped a hand over her mouth in shock, stricken. "I—I didn't know that painting was your late mother's work. Harper, I'm so sorry. I'll go to Silas's place right now and get it back."

"Go do what? You don't know what kind of designs Silas has on you?"

Nathan let go of me and turned, planting himself in front of Ada.

Ada looked ready to cry, her eyes reddening. "But—but… that painting was the thing Harper treasured most. I took it without knowing, and that alone is already wronging her."

"It's fine. Her mom left plenty of other things behind. No need to fret."