Chapter 3

Early the next morning, Olivia received a text from an unknown number giving her a time and place.

Grace was already there when she arrived, her eyes red from crying.

Olivia pulled out a chair and sat across from her. She said nothing, watching Grace tremble under her steady gaze.

Grace was beautiful, with delicate features and a fragile innocence that made her look as though she needed someone to protect her. Olivia could see why Henry found her so hard to resist.

"Don't try anything!" Grace raised her voice, but it did little to hide her fear. "Henry's on his way. If you hurt me, he'll..."

"He'll what?" Olivia asked calmly. "Break my legs? Cut me up and feed me to the dogs like he does to his enemies?"

Grace went pale.

Olivia gave a soft laugh. "Didn't your precious Henry tell you, Ms. Meyer? I warned him that if I caught him with you again, I'd kill you."

Grace shook so hard that she could barely speak. Her lips moved, but nothing came out.

She knew the stories about Olivia. Women who went after Henry tended to meet terrible ends, each story worse than the last.

"Phantom," Olivia said to the man beside her. "Do it."

He didn't move. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he leaned closer and lowered his voice.

"Mrs. West, I brought her here like you asked, but Mr. West gave us direct orders to protect her. I can't hurt her."

"You can't?"

Before either of them could react, Olivia grabbed a butter knife from the table and rose from her chair. She seized Grace by the chin and tilted her face up.

"Well, I can."

Olivia glanced at the dull blade, then at Grace's chest, rising and falling with her rapid breaths.

"This isn't very sharp, so it's going to hurt. You'll have to bear with me."

She angled the rounded tip against Grace's chest, pressing it into the thin fabric over her heart.

"And keep your voice down. I can't stand screaming."

Olivia drew back her hand to strike, but a furious shout stopped her.

"Olivia!"

The door to the private room slammed open. A gunshot cracked through the room almost immediately.

Pain seared Olivia's wrist, and her fingers went numb. The knife slipped from her grasp and clattered across the floor.

The bullet grazed her wrist. She staggered back a step, her brow tightening as pain radiated up her arm.

Slowly, she turned toward the door.

Henry stood there, gun in hand. His face was tight with anger, but she could still see the fear in his eyes.

The gun was pointed at her. He actually shot his wife to protect Grace.

Henry crossed the room and stepped in front of Grace, blocking her from view.

"Olivia." His voice was low and strained. "What did I tell you?"

Grace peeked around his shoulder and met Olivia's eyes. Tears still ran down her cheeks, but with Henry standing in front of her, she lifted her chin.

"You've told me a lot of things." Olivia held his gaze. "Do you mean when you promised you'd never betray me? Or when you told me to leave her alone?"

Henry's face hardened. "You know what Tom meant to me. For his sake, you leave her alone."

Olivia laughed.

"So you owe a dead man, and that makes it alright to betray your wife? Six months ago, you stood in front of our families' graves and swore you'd be faithful to me for the rest of your life. Did you mean a word of it?"

Her wrist still trembled. The skin around the wound was red and swollen, and blood trickled down her hand.

Henry frowned when he saw it. For a long moment, he said nothing, then his expression softened.

"Olivia, please. Let's go home and talk."

"Which home, Henry? The house you haven't been back to in a week? Or Lakecrest Estate, where you've got her surrounded by guards?"

Henry's jaw tightened, but he had no answer.

Grace tugged gently at his sleeve. "Henry, can we go? I'm scared."

He barely hesitated. Bending down, he gathered the trembling woman into his arms and headed for the door.

He walked past Olivia without slowing down, then turned to his men.

"Get someone to treat my wife's wrist."

His voice was cold.

"Take her home. She's staying there until she's recovered, and she doesn't leave without my permission."