Chapter 4

On the fifth day, rain hammered New York.

Evelyn carried the last suitcase out of the apartment, leaving the rooms empty behind her. At ten, she took her seat in the hearing room. The investigators formally asked Hartwell to produce the raw server logs.

Her lawyer told her quietly that once the logs were filed, the primary allegation against her could be dropped and the travel restriction lifted.

Evelyn looked across at Julian. He looked tired and entirely calm. Yesterday he had promised that next time he would be on her side. She did not need him to favor her. She only needed him not to stand in the way of her getting out.

The court adjourned for ten minutes.

In the corridor outside, Claire stopped Julian. Through the glass, Evelyn could not hear the beginning of their conversation, but Claire's voice came through clearly when it rose. "Four years ago you promised me you would never let me be the one Hartwell sacrificed."

Julian said nothing.

"Are you breaking your promise? Was your love for me a lie? This will ruin me. She's already carrying the blame, so let her keep it. Even if she's falsely accused, you'll still be there to protect her. We only have to protect ourselves, don't we?"

The hearing resumed and Hartwell's lawyer stood.

"We request a delay in producing the raw logs while we complete further technical verification."

Evelyn's fingers closed slowly.

The judge frowned and brought down the gavel. "The evidence has not been fully verified. The temporary travel restriction on Ms. Reed remains in effect."

She had missed her flight for good.

When it ended, Julian came after her into the corridor.

"It's only a delay."

Evelyn did not stop walking.

"Two days at most. Then I'll have the restriction lifted."

Evelyn stopped. Julian expected her to finally lash out at him, but she only asked calmly, "When can I have my passport back?"

Julian paused. "Evelyn, I said I would handle it."

"I know." Evelyn nodded. "So when, exactly?"

In that moment she could barely feel even disappointment. The hurt was still there. The layers of feeling around it had simply been used up. She did not want to remind him of yesterday's promise, and she did not want to ask why it was always Claire first. Those answers had stopped meaning anything.

Reporters packed the entrance to the courthouse. Someone had leaked word that she was barred from leaving the country.

"Ms. Reed, are you trying to take revenge on Hartwell Group?"

"You were already planning to leave New York three days ago. Were you trying to evade the investigation?"

"Is there more to your divorce from Mr. Hartwell?"

Evelyn answered none of it. The car emerged from the underground garage with several news vans in close pursuit.

The rain intensified, and visibility on the overpass dropped to almost nothing. A camera vehicle forced its way in from the right for a better shot and kept crowding their car. The driver wrenched the wheel, the tires sliced through standing water, and the car lost traction.

Evelyn heard the barrier tear, and in the next second the whole car went over.

Icy river water surged into the car. The seat belt pinned her body, and the door would not budge. In those few seconds, there was no Julian in her mind, no Claire, not even the canceled ticket. One thought remained: “Live. I have to get out.”

She smashed the side window with all her strength, but the violent current dragged her away. Her memories after that splintered into fragments: shouting in her ears, then a pair of hands grabbing her.

When she opened her eyes again, the first thing she saw was the harsh white ceiling light of an unfamiliar clinic. Noah sat beside the bed, as slim as ever, with the same look in his eyes that she remembered from years ago.

Evelyn's lips moved. The first thing she said was, "The plane... has it already left?"

Noah was silent for two seconds, then answered honestly. "It has."

Evelyn closed her eyes. The television was running a news broadcast with an old identification photograph of her on the screen.

"Hartwell's former wife plunged into the river during the storm. Police have yet to locate her..."

The remembered suffocation of icy water flooding her lungs still clung to Evelyn. Then came Sophie's injuries, the endless investigation, and the tangled litigation. Beneath all that weight came an almost shameful sense of release.

If everyone believed she was dead, then no one could decide where she went, determine when she was allowed to leave, or force her to carry someone else's blame.

Noah put her old phone on the nightstand. "Do you want to tell them you're alive?"

Evelyn did not answer at once. After a long time she took out the SIM card and snapped it in two herself.

"Take me home."

Noah asked no further questions and tucked the blanket around her. The rain was still pouring outside, and Evelyn understood with perfect clarity that she had finally left Julian's world for good.