Chapter 3

I found Gabby on the terrace, the humid Houston night air clinging to her skin. She was staring out at the city lights, looking small and lost.

"He' s not handling this well," I said, standing beside her.

She jumped, startled. "Ryan. I... we shouldn' t have come. I' m sorry."

"Don' t be," I said, my voice deliberately soft. I leaned against the railing, creating an illusion of ease. "It' s been three years, Gabby. I' m over it. Honestly."

I looked at her, feigning concern. Her skin was pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes.

"You look tired," I said. "Are you remembering to take your medication?"

She looked up, surprised. It was an intimate detail, a reminder of a time when I managed her prescriptions, her doctor' s appointments, her entire life. Her rare autoimmune disorder required a strict, expensive regimen.

"I... yes. Most of the time," she admitted.

"You need to be careful with that stuff," I said gently. "Stress is a major trigger, you know."

She nodded, a flicker of the old reliance in her eyes. "My family' s business... it' s not doing well. It' s been stressful."

"I' m sorry to hear that," I lied. "Look, what happened between us was a long time ago. We' re adults. There' s no reason we can' t be friends."

I extended the olive branch, knowing it was poison.

Her relief was palpable. "Friends? I' d like that, Ryan. I really would."

She was impressed by my magnanimity, by the power I now radiated. She saw a mature, forgiving man, not the architect of her future ruin.

From the corner of my eye, I saw the glass door to the terrace slide open. Tony stood there, his face a thundercloud of jealousy. He saw us talking, saw the ease between us, and his insecurity flared like a signal fire.

I met his gaze for a fraction of a second, then turned back to Gabby, my expression unchanged.

Let him watch. Let him wonder. Let him destroy himself.