Chapter 2

The black Maybach rolled up the circular driveway just as the sun dipped below the horizon.

Grant walked through the front door, bringing the chill of the Boston evening with him. He loosened his silk tie, the exhaustion of a fourteen-hour day at the investment bank etched deep into the lines around his mouth.

Evelyn practically materialized in the foyer. She wore a pristine pastel cardigan and a bright, innocent smile.

"Dad, you must be so tired," Evelyn said, reaching out to take his heavy leather briefcase.

Grant's shoulders dropped. A genuine smile broke through his fatigue. He reached out and ruffled Evelyn's hair.

Christa sat at the head of the long dining table. She watched the exchange, her stomach turning over, but her face remained a mask of polite indifference.

Maura, the housekeeper, began serving the roasted duck. The three of them sat down.

Evelyn immediately picked up the serving tongs and placed the best pieces of meat onto Grant's plate.

"Dad," Evelyn said, her voice dropping into a soft, remorseful register. "I want you to know I made a really mature decision today. I cut ties with the people who were a bad influence on me. I want to focus on my AP classes."

Grant stopped cutting his meat. He looked at Evelyn with profound relief, then turned his eyes toward Christa, silently begging her to share in this parenting victory.

Christa picked up her wine glass. She swirled the dark red liquid, her eyes locking onto Grant's. She gave a single, tight nod, offering absolutely nothing else.

Evelyn took the silence as a win. She spent the rest of the dinner chatting happily about her history project, convinced she had successfully manipulated the entire household.

The moment dessert was cleared, Evelyn stood up.

"I need to go study," Evelyn said, practically skipping toward the stairs.

Christa placed her linen napkin on the table. She looked at Grant, who was reaching for the remote to turn on the financial news.

"Grant. Come with me to the study. Now."

Her voice was low, but it carried a weight that made Grant freeze. He put the remote down and followed his wife up the stairs.

Christa walked into the private study. She waited for Grant to step inside, then pushed the heavy soundproof door shut. She reached up and slid the brass lock into place with a loud click.

She walked behind the mahogany desk. She opened the top drawer and pulled out her smartphone, syncing it to a small, black Bluetooth speaker on the desk.

Grant rubbed his temples, confusion pulling at his features. "Christa, what is this about?"

Christa did not answer. She pressed the play button and turned the volume dial all the way up.

The audio was crisp. It was Evelyn's voice, recorded just hours ago. Christa had left her phone recording on the living room console table before Evelyn came downstairs.

"Are you kidding me, Dante?" Evelyn's recorded voice sneered, dripping with venom. "Grant is such an easy mark. The guy is a complete idiot. I just squeeze out two tears and call him Dad, and he practically hands me his wallet."

Grant's breath hitched.

"I told the ice queen I'm breaking up with you," the recording continued. "It's just to keep them off our backs. I'll sneak out this weekend. Just make sure you have the stuff."

Christa pressed stop. The silence in the study was deafening.

Grant's face went from pale to a deep, mottled red. The veins in his neck bulged against his collar. His chest heaved as he stared at the black device on the desk.

He slammed his fist down on the mahogany wood. The pens in the holder rattled.

He spun around, grabbing the brass lock, ready to tear the door open and drag Evelyn out of her room.

Christa moved faster. She stepped directly between Grant and the door, pressing her hands flat against his chest.

"Move, Christa," Grant growled, his voice shaking with rage.

"If you go in there now, she will cry," Christa said, her voice a deadpan whisper. "She will say she was just acting tough for her boyfriend. She will pack a bag, run out into the night, and make us look like the monsters who drove an orphan onto the streets."

Grant's jaw clenched so hard his teeth ground together. "So we just let this little parasite play us for fools?"

"No," Christa said, her fingers twisting her wedding ring. "We give her exactly what she wants. Complete freedom."

Grant stopped pushing against her. He looked down at his wife, searching her cold eyes.

"We drop all the rules," Christa explained, her words precise and surgical. "We stop checking her curfew. We stop policing her friends. When you remove the pressure, the rat comes out of the walls. We let her expose her true nature to everyone. Especially to Camren."

Grant's breathing slowly returned to normal. The blind rage in his eyes shifted into a cold, calculating realization.

He stepped back from the door. He walked over to the leather armchair and sank into it, the fight draining out of his posture.

He looked at the voice recorder, then up at Christa. He gave a slow, heavy nod.