Chapter 2

Ian didn't come home for an entire week.

Five days into his absence, Nina received a call from the theater owner, Martin Hayes.

"Ms. Shaw, I wanted to check with you about Ian's show tomorrow. Should we still bring in the regular paid audience?"

Nina froze, her phone pressed to her ear.

The paid audience. She'd almost forgotten about that.

For the past two years, she'd paid people to attend every single one of Ian's performances, making sure the theater was always packed and the atmosphere lively. The owner had once told her that whenever Ian looked out at a sold-out crowd, his eyes crinkled with happiness.

She'd spent a fortune and hired countless people, all for the sake of that smile. As long as he was happy, so was she.

"Ms. Shaw?" Martin prompted cautiously.

Nina opened her mouth, then hesitated. She thought about all the calls Ian had ignored and the messages he'd left unanswered these past few days. She knew exactly where he was.

At the hospital, keeping Willa company.

"Not need," she said.

After hanging up, Nina sat on the couch, staring at the divorce papers on the coffee table. She'd already signed them but hadn't gotten around to sending them out.

Her phone buzzed again, this time with a message from her secretary, Sophie Miller.

[Ms. Shaw, Mr. Xavier's visa for his overseas training has been approved.]

Nina stared at the message for a long time.

Ian had spoken several times about a magician overseas whom he deeply admired. Whenever the subject came up, his face lit up with admiration, though he always insisted that someone like that was far beyond his reach.

Nina had pulled strings through three different connections and called in more favors than she could count to secure him a place in the training program. She'd been planning to surprise him with the news.

Now that his visa had finally come through, she got to her feet, grabbed her purse, and drove to the hospital.

Ian was standing beside the bed when she opened the door to Willa's room. At the sound, he turned, and the moment he saw Nina, his expression went cold.

"You've got some nerve showing up here."

Nina stopped short, stunned by his hostility.

"I already sent Willa away, just like you wanted." His eyes were turning red as he glared at her. "The only reason she came back today was because Martin asked her to fill in. My regular partner was in a car accident, and they couldn't find anyone else on such short notice. Wasn't kicking her out enough for you?"

Nina opened her mouth, but he wasn't finished.

"Did you have someone tamper with the props? Or were you the one who messed with the lock on the water tank?" He took a step toward her, lowering his voice to a dangerous whisper. "Nina, that's attempted murder. Do you understand that? One more minute and she would've been dead!"

Nina stood frozen, feeling as though someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over her head.

"Is that how you rich people see the rest of us?" Ian demanded, enunciating every word. "Like our lives are worth nothing?"

Nina stared at him.

Then she slapped him.

The sharp crack echoed through the hospital room, silencing everything around them.

Ian's head snapped to the side. He stood there, stunned.

"Get a grip on yourself!" Nina's palm stung fiercely, and her voice trembled as she looked up at him. "The only reason Willa even has a hospital room this nice is because I arranged it for your sake. Accuse me of something like that again, and I'll throw both of you out!"

Ian slowly turned back to face her, as though the slap had finally snapped him out of his anger. His eyes were bloodshot, and his hands curled into tight fists.

A sudden thud came from behind Nina.

She turned to find Willa on her knees, her face deathly pale and tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Nina, please don't blame Ian," she sobbed. "He didn't mean it like that. He's just been so worried about me. Please don't fight because of me. This is all my fault. I'll leave right now."

Ian didn't hesitate for a second. He rushed over, bent down, and pulled Willa off the floor.

"When you made me choose between the two of you," he said, looking straight at Nina, "I made the wrong choice."

Nina felt her heart constrict.

"I'm done bending over backward for a spoiled rich girl like you," Ian continued.

With that, he took Willa by the hand and headed for the door. But just as they reached it, he stopped.

He pulled a wad of cash from his wallet, turned around, and flung it at Nina.

The bills struck her face before scattering across the floor.

"Now we're even."