Chapter 6

The silence in the Bentley was a physical presence, heavy and suffocating. The tinted privacy partition separating them from the driver was raised, cocooning them in their own world of cold fury. The windshield wipers swished back and forth, a monotonous, hypnotic rhythm against the downpour.

June leaned her head against the cool glass of the window, watching the rain-streaked city lights blur into long, abstract strokes of color. She felt hollowed out, an empty vessel being transported from one cage to another.

Augustus sat ramrod straight on the opposite seat, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white. He opened his mouth to say something twice, then closed it, his jaw tight. What was there to say? He had already said it all.

His phone chimed, connecting to the car's Bluetooth system. The caller ID flashed on the dashboard screen: CAMERON VANCE. Augustus tapped a button on the steering wheel.

"What is it?" he snapped.

"Sir, just confirming the gallery transaction is complete," Cameron's efficient voice filled the car. "The painting can be delivered to Miss Bolton's residence tomorrow morning."

"Fine."

June closed her eyes, a fresh wave of pain washing over her.

Cameron, sensing his boss's foul mood, tried to fill the awkward silence. "It's an interesting piece, sir. I did a little research on the provenance for the insurance paperwork."

Augustus said nothing, his eyes fixed on the wet road.

"The artist is a complete enigma," Cameron continued, undeterred. "Goes by the pseudonym 'mr.sun'. Metamorphosis was their debut piece, shown at a small student exhibition years ago. It caused a bit of a stir, and then... nothing. The artist completely vanished. This is the only known work of theirs in circulation."

Next to Augustus, June's body went rigid. A tiny, imperceptible tremor ran through her. She pressed her lips together, her long lashes fluttering against her pale cheeks.

Augustus didn't notice. His mind was not on some mysterious artist. It was on the silent, dripping woman beside him, and the unsettling quiet that had fallen between them.

"Fascinating," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Cameron, a master at reading his boss, quickly changed the subject. "Sir, regarding Mrs. Pruitt... I was thinking, perhaps a gesture of... compensation might be in order? To smooth things over."

Compensation. The word hung in the air, clinical and insulting.

Augustus glanced at June's profile. Her eyes were still closed, her face a pale, emotionless mask. He remembered her, crouched and crying in the rain. He had told himself it was a performance, but the image was stubbornly lodged in his mind, sparking that same, unwelcome flicker of irritation.

"She just wants attention," Augustus said, his voice a low sneer. "And money. It's always about money."

He made a decision. A transaction to end this drama.

"Cameron," he commanded. "Go to Harry Winston tomorrow morning. Pick out the most expensive set they have. Diamonds, sapphires, whatever. Have it delivered to the house."

He would bury her in jewels. He would pay for her silence. It was a language he was certain she understood.

June heard every word.

mr.sun.

Compensation.

The most expensive set they have.

The man she had married, the man she had once loved with every fiber of her being, did not know her at all. He was talking about her as if she were a problem to be managed, a petulant child to be placated with a shiny toy. And in the same breath, he had casually discussed the origins of her own soul's work, utterly oblivious.

She slowly opened her eyes. The lake inside her was frozen solid.

Augustus ended the call. The silence that returned was a hundred times heavier than before.

He shot her a sideways glance. "When the gift arrives tomorrow, accept it," he ordered. "And then I expect you to behave. No more scenes."

June didn't answer. She didn't even look at him. She continued to stare out the window as if he hadn't spoken, as if he were nothing more than a chauffeur.

The car swept through the grand gates of their estate. The moment it rolled to a stop under the portico, June opened her door and got out. She didn't wait for him. She didn't look back.

She walked into the rain, her steps unsteady but determined, moving toward the massive front doors of the house.

Augustus watched her go, a dark, unfamiliar feeling churning in his gut. It felt like he was watching something slip through his fingers, something he hadn't even realized he was holding.