CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
JULES

“WHAT…YOU…” Any ability I had to form a coherent sentence evaporated as I stared at my ex.

He was here. In D.C. Less than two feet away, standing with an unsettling calmness.

“Surprise.” His hands slipped into his pockets, and he rocked back slightly. His jeans were more worn than he usually tolerated, his shirt rumpled. His face, once full, had thinned with age.

But make no mistake—this was still Max.

Attractive, charismatic, and manipulative to the core.

Some people evolved. Max? He was like concrete—set in his ways, unmovable. If he’d come all this way, it wasn’t casual. He wanted something, and he wouldn’t leave empty-handed.

“Lena Miller, speechless. Didn't think I'd ever see that.” His chuckle rang warning bells in my head. “Or should I call you Lena Carter? Nice name change, though I’m surprised you didn’t go all the way with it.”

My body went stiff.

“It was legal,” I said, my voice clipped. I'd filed the paperwork shortly after moving to Maryland. At eighteen, with no debt, no financial entanglements, it was easy to erase Lena Miller and step into Lena Carter.

Maybe I should’ve changed my first name, too. But I’d always loved Lena, and I wasn’t quite ready to erase every trace of the girl I used to be.

“One of the few legal things you ever did,” Max said, his tone flat.

Moments ago, the club buzzed with energy. Now, the air had turned heavy, the lights too sharp, the bass too loud. The crowd pressed in around me, the space suddenly claustrophobic.

Max was one of the only people who knew the truth about my past. One whisper from him, and my carefully constructed world would collapse like a Jenga tower.

“You're supposed to be...” I reached for words that never came.

“In Ohio?” His expression cooled. “Yeah. We’ve got a lot to catch up on.” He scanned the club—nobody was paying us attention. Still, he inclined his head toward a shadowy corner. “Let’s talk. Over there.”

He led the way to a dim hallway near the back exit. It was mere steps from the chaos, but the hush made it feel like a different universe entirely.

I slipped my phone into my purse—Ethan completely forgotten—and wiped my damp palms against the fabric of my dress.

If I had any sense, I’d bolt. But Max had already found me. Escaping would only postpone the inevitable.

“I’m a little offended you didn’t respond to my texts,” Max said, voice light despite the edge beneath it. “With our history, I thought I’d get at least a hello.”

“I have nothing to say to you.” I kept my voice calm, though my fingers trembled. “How did you even find me? How’d you get my number?”

He shook his head slowly. “Wrong questions. You should be asking why I waited this long. Where I’ve been the past seven years.” His smile vanished, his gaze sharp. “Ask me.”

A wave of dread rolled through me. “Where have you been the past seven years?”

“Prison, Lena.” His lips curved into something that looked like a smile, but his eyes were empty. “Locked up for what you did. I got out a few months ago.”

“No.” My voice came out hoarse. “That’s not possible. We got away.”

“No, you got away. You disappeared to Maryland, started your shiny new life—with the money we stole.” His mouth curled in a bitter, restrained snarl before he smoothed his expression again. “You vanished. Left me to clean up the fallout.”

I swallowed my retort. Now wasn’t the time to provoke him. But he wasn’t telling the full story.

Yes, I left without a word. But we planned the heist together. Max was the one who went off script. The one who got greedy.

"They'll be back soon." I glanced around my stepfather's office, my anxiety a tight knot in my chest. "We have to go now."

We already had what we came for. Fifty thousand dollars in cash, which Alastair kept in his "secret" safe.

He thought no one knew about it, but I'd made a point of exploring every nook and cranny of the mansion when I lived here.

That included any places where Alastair may have stashed his secrets. I even figured out his safe combination-0495, the month and year he founded his textile company.

Cracking his safe wasn't rocket science, and fifty grand wasn't a secret, but it was a helluva lot of money, even after Max and I split it in half.

That was, if we stayed out of jail. We'd yet to get caught after seven months of pulling jobs in Columbus, but lingering here was just asking for trouble.

"Hold on. I...almost...got it." Max grunted as he pried open the custom-made lock of the small metal box attached to the safe's interior.

It served as a second layer of security for Alastair's most prized item: an antique diamond necklace he'd won at an auction several years ago after bidding over a hundred thousand dollars for it.

I already regretted telling Max about the necklace. I should've known fifty grand wouldn't be enough for him. Nothing was enough for him. He always wanted more money, more clout. More, more, more, even if it got him into trouble.

"Leave it," 1 hissed. "We can't even pawn it without leading the authorities right to us. We have to-"

The bright beam of headlights filled the windows and threw a spotlight on our frozen forms. It was followed by the slam of a car door and Alastair's deep, distinctive voice.

He and my mom went to dinner in the city every Friday, but they usually didn't return home until ten. It was only nine-thirty.

"Shit!" Panic climbed up my throat. "Leave the fucking necklace, Max. We need to go!"

"I'm almost done. This baby will have us set for years. Max wrenched the lock off with a triumphant smile and snatched the diamonds out. "Got it!"

I didn't bother responding. I was already halfway out the door, adrenaline propelling me down the hall and toward the back exit. The duffel bag of cash banged against my hip with each step.

However, I skidded to a stop when I heard the front door open, causing Max to nearly crash into me.

"That was a terrible restaurant, Alastair." My mom sniffed. "The duck was cold, and the wine was awful. We need to choose a better option next week."

My fingers clutched the strap of my bag tighter the moment I heard Adeline’s voice.

It had been a year since we last spoke—since she kicked me out right after my seventeenth birthday.

Even after everything, the soft familiarity of her tone hit me like a punch to the chest, and tears stung my eyes before I could blink them back.

My stepfather said something in return, too low for me to catch.

They were near. Uncomfortably near. Only a single wall separated the foyer from the hallway, and Max and I had to cross the open arch between them to reach the exit.

If my mom or Alastair decided to veer into the hall instead of heading straight to the living room, it would all be over.

Adeline kept talking—complaining about the restaurant—but her voice slowly faded into the distance.

They'd gone to the living room.

Instead of relief, an ache flared in my chest, old wounds reopened like they’d never healed. I was her only child, yet she picked her husband over me without hesitation and never once tried to find me after casting me out over something he had done.

Adeline had never been particularly warm or nurturing, but her cruelty still shocked me. I used to believe that, no matter how strained things got between us, she’d always be in my corner. That it would always be me and her in the end.

But I’d been wrong. It was always her and her pride. Her and her bank account. Whatever it was, it wasn’t me—and it never had been.

“What are you doing?” Max called back, already ahead of me. “Move!”

I snapped out of it and hurried after him. This wasn’t the time to wallow in old pain. It wouldn’t be long before Alastair realized his precious money and jewels were gone—and when that happened, we needed to be far, far away.

My stomach flipped when the exit came into sight. We were going to make it. Just a few more steps-

Crash!

My eyes widened in horror when Max bumped into a side table in his haste. The porcelain vase sitting on it toppled to the floor and shattered with enough force to wake the dead.

He stumbled and landed on the broken pieces with a curse.

"What was that?" Alastair shouted, his voice carrying through the house. "Who's there?"

"Fuck!" I grabbed Max's hand and dragged him up and down the hall. "We have to get out of here!"

He resisted. "The necklace!"

I glanced over my shoulder and spotted the glittering diamonds lying amongst the jagged white shards.

"We don't have time. Alastair's almost here," I hissed. My stepfather's angry footsteps grew louder. In less than a minute, he would catch us, and we could kiss our freedom goodbye unless he was in a forgiving mood.

Bile rose in my throat at the prospect of being at that creep's mercy.

Max was greedy, but he wasn't an idiot. He took my advice and abandoned his quest for the necklace.

I spotted a glimpse of Alastair's thinning blond hair and furious face right as we flew through the back door, but I didn't stop running until Max and I passed through the forest bordering the property and reached the side road where we'd parked our getaway car.

It was only then that I noticed the blood staining Max's sleeve.

"They tracked me down using the blood I left behind from nicking myself on that stupid vase." Bitterness crept into Max's voice.

"A few fucking bloodstains, and I lost years of my life. The judge happened to be a good friend of Alastair's, so he handed down a heavy fucking sentence.

Of course, you were long gone by the time the police came.

There was no evidence you were involved they couldn't catch your face on the security cameras and Alastair didn't want to drag the case out when he already had me as the fall guy. Bad publicity, you see. So you got away scot-free."

I hated the twinge of guilt in my gut. We'd both been in the wrong, and he was the only one who paid for it.

I understood why he was angry, but I also didn't regret running when I had the chance.

I'd only fallen into the con life because of Max. I'd needed money, and it'd been impossible for me to get a job in town after people found out my own mother kicked me out.

She never told anyone why she did so, and the rumors ran wild-everything from me selling drugs to me getting knocked up and losing the baby because of my supposed coke habit. Either way, no one wanted to touch me with a ten-foot pole.

Luckily, I had enough cash saved up to tide me over until I met Max two weeks after being kicked out. I'd been sucked in by his looks, charm, and flashy car, and it hadn't been long before he roped me into running cons with him in Columbus.

But our ski weekend had shattered his spell, and I'd only stayed with him until I had the resources to leave Ohio for good.

My acceptance to Thayer and Alastair's cash gave me what I needed, and I snuck away the night after we broke into my stepfather's mansion.

I hopped on a midnight bus to Columbus, bought the next flight to D.C., and never looked back.

"You might think I'm upset." Present Max smoothed a hand over his hair. "I'm not. I've had a lot of time to reflect over the years. Become a better person. I've learned how to let bygones be bygones. That being said..."

Here it was.

I curled my hands into fists and braced myself for what he had to say next.

"You owe me. I took the fall for you."

"What do you want, Max?" I didn't point out that he had, in fact, committed a crime and took the fall for himself.

There was no point. "I'm sorry you got caught. Truly. But I can't give you those seven years back."

"No," he said, the picture of reason. "But you can do me a favor. It's only fair."

Needles of dread pricked at me. "What kind of favor?"

"It wouldn't be any fun if I told you now, would it?" Max smiled.

"You'll see. I'll let you know when the time is right." "I'm not having sex with you." The mere idea turned my stomach.

"Oh, no." His laugh bounced around the hallway and scraped against my skin like nails on chalkboard. "After how well-used you must be after all these years? No, thanks."

Heat rushed to my face, and I resisted the urge to stab him in the balls with one of my stiletto heels.

"Although you have always been enthusiastic in the sack, so you have that going for you." My stomach hollowed when he pulled out his phone. "I even have evidence."

He pressed a button, and my stomach churned when past me's moans filled the air.

"Right there," onscreen me gasped, sounding disgustingly sincere even though I'd hated every second of what I'd been doing. "That feels so good."

"Yeah, you like that?" The man's rough voice sent a wave of nausea crashing through me. "I knew you were a fucking slut the moment I saw you."

The video was grainy, but it was clear enough to see both our faces and his cock as he pumped in and out of me. I'd barely known the guy, but Max had convinced me to sleep with him and capture it on camera.

I'd been such a fucking idiot.

"Turn it off." I couldn't stand the sound of my fake moans. Each one drilled into my brain and dragged me back to the dark days when I'd craved approval so much I would've done anything for it, including have sex with a man twice my age just so I could steal from him.

"But we haven't gotten to the good part yet." Max's smile widened. "I love it when you let him fuck you in-"

"Turn it off!" Cold sweat drenched my skin. "I'll do your fucking favor."

The video finally, blessedly stopped.

"Good. I knew you were smart." Max pocketed his phone. I wasn't dumb enough to think stealing it would do anything except piss him off.

He must have backups of the video stashed somewhere.

"After all, you don't want to lose your job at Silver & Klein, do you? A fancy law firm like that probably wouldn't react well to one of their employees having a sex tape floating around online."

The bile churned harder. "How do you know about that? How did you even find me and get my number?"

Max shrugged. "It's not hard to track you down when pictures of you with a queen are splashed all over the internet, especially with the royal wedding is coming up.

Once I discovered your new name, it took only a simple Google search to turn up what I needed. Lena Carter, member of the Thayer Law Review. Lena Carter, recipient a full-ride scholarship to Thayer Law.

" His smile turned bitter. "You're living a good life, J. As for your number...well, those things aren't exactly classified. Paid some cash to an online service and voila. Done."

Fuck. I'd never considered the consequences of having my connection with Bridget be so publicized. But I never expected Max would look for me after all these years. I'd feared it, but I hadn't expected it.

"And Hyacinth? How'd you know I would be here?"

Breathe, Lena. Breathe.

Max rolled his eyes. "I'm here to have fun, J. Plus I have...business in D.C. Not everything is about you. Running into you was a lucky coincidence, though I'd planned to text you again eventually.

I was just...busy these past few weeksHis casual irritation was more unnerving than any direct threat.

Max had always looked down on physical violence—too crude for his taste. He preferred psychological warfare, and this was no exception.

Whatever “business” he was into now, I’d bet my apartment it wasn’t legal.

"And when exactly do you plan to cash in this favor?" I just wanted it over with.

"Whenever I feel like it. Could be days, weeks, even months." Max shrugged. "Better keep your phone close. Miss my message, and poof—your video goes live."

My stomach dropped. The idea of his threat dangling over me indefinitely made me sick.

"If I do it, you'll erase the tape," I said.

It was worth a shot.

His expression hardened. "I'll erase the tape if and when I want to erase it." He brushed a strand of hair out of my eye, the action grotesquely tender considering the circumstances.

"You don't have any leverage, babe. You've built this fancy life of yours on a foundation of lies, and you're just as helpless now as you were when you were seventeen."

He trailed his hand down my neck and caressed my shoulder.

A swarm of invisible spiders crawled over my skin.

"You will do-"

A familiar voice cut in, deep and edged with hardness. "Am I interrupting something?"