Chapter 3

Keith didn't notice Eva was gone for two days.

He was consumed by Holly's fashion week launch. He was her escort to exclusive parties, her legal advisor on call, her confidant. He moved through the glittering world of LA's elite with an easy charm, Holly on his arm. He felt alive, invigorated.

It was only on the third morning, when he woke up in his a silent, empty house and realized he was out of the specific brand of coffee Holly preferred, that a vague sense of unease prickled him.

He called out Eva's name. "Eva?"

Silence.

He walked through the house. Her closet was half-empty. Her side of the bathroom vanity was cleared of her simple, unscented products. He frowned. Was she visiting her family? She usually told him.

He saw a stack of papers on the kitchen counter, held down by the minimalist vase she liked. He picked them up.

PETITION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE

The words seemed to float off the page. He stared at them, uncomprehending. Divorce?

He let out a short, disbelieving laugh. This had to be a joke. A desperate plea for attention. She' d been moody lately, he vaguely recalled. This was just another one of her quiet, dramatic gestures.

His phone buzzed. It was Holly.

The after-party is tonight at SkyBar. Don't be late. I have a surprise for you.

He immediately forgot about the papers. Holly's surprise sounded far more interesting than Eva's little tantrum. He tossed the documents back on the counter, grabbed his keys, and headed for the door. He' d deal with Eva when he got back. She' d have cooled down by then. She always did.

He was about to leave when his eyes caught the signature on the last page. Eva's handwriting was elegant and precise. But next to it, scrawled in her hand, was a small note.

Re: Cobb Fashion v. Atelier Noir - check Section 2(c) of the 1988 IP agreement. Their non-compete clause is unenforceable under California Business and Professions Code 16600. You're looking in the wrong place.

Keith froze.

He snatched the papers up again, his heart starting to beat a little faster. How did she know about that? The Atelier Noir dispute was a confidential issue he'd only discussed with Holly and his own legal team. And the 1988 agreement... it was an obscure document they had only unearthed yesterday.

And more importantly, how did she know it was unenforceable? He and his team had been arguing about that very point for hours, and they still weren't sure.

He stared at the note. The handwriting was Eva's, but the cold, sharp legal analysis... it was something else entirely. It was brilliant. It was exactly the argument he had been struggling to formulate.

A sliver of confusion pierced his annoyance. Who was this woman he had married? This quiet, unassuming housewife who seemed to know more about his case than his own expensive lawyers?

His phone buzzed again. Where are you?

He shook his head, pushing the strange feeling away. It was probably a lucky guess. Maybe she' d overheard him on the phone. It didn't matter. Holly was waiting.

He left the divorce papers on the counter and walked out into the LA sunshine, the troubling note already fading from his mind.