"Didn''t I tell you to find a spot the cameras couldn''t see?" Leonie hissed at Connor. "We got caught before we even started! It''s a good thing my uncle isn''t here. If he found us staking out his house like this, he''d probably call the cops on us. How embarrassing would that be?"


    Connor shrugged. "There weren''t any cameras here thest couple of times I came. They must have installed new ones. What are you worried about? If anyone''s getting arrested, it''ll be me. You think he''d turn in his favorite niece?"


    Leonie shot him a re but didn''t say anything as Gwh opened the front door and walked out.


    Gwh looked surprised to see both of them. "You''re here! Why didn''t youe inside? I saw Connor''s car pull up on the security monitor and figured you must be here to see me."


    Leonie wanted to cover for them, but Connor had no intention of hiding anything from Gwh. "We''re here to keep an eye on her uncle. The man''s got a woman on the side. Did you know?"


    Leonie nearly jumped out of her skin. "Connor, what are you talking about? We only suspect it. Suspect, you hear me?"


    Terrified that Gwh would misunderstand, Leonie quickly turned to her. "Auntie, don''t listen to him. He''s just joking."


    But Gwh''s expression remained unnervingly calm. "I know. The woman''s name is Patti Yale. She''s working as a project supervisor at hispany now."


    This time, it was Connor and Leonie who were stunned.


    "Auntie, you knew?" Leonie blurted out, then immediately mped her mouth shut, realizing she''d said the wrong thing. A sarcastic smile touched Connor''s lips.


    "So you knew all along. Looks like I was just being a busybody, then."


    Gwh looked at Connor, her face devoid of me. "Connor, did you and Leoniee here to tell me about this?"


    If that were the case, why had they been hiding downstairs instead ofing up? Why had they parked the car behind a tree? Gwh. wasn''t a fool; she put the pieces together instantly. There was no way Leonie woulde running to tell her that Hawthorne was cheating. She would have tried to cover for


    him. Unless... she was here to confirm the truth for herself.


    Before Leonie could speak, Connor jumped in. "We figured Hawthorne has a little love nest somewhere for his mistress. We were just about to go check it out. Interested ining along to catch him in the act? It''s all the rage these days."


    Leonie''s hand shot out and pinched Connor''s cheek, hard. "Will you ever stop, Connor? Do you really want my aunt and uncle to get a divorce? No one will think you''re dead if you just shut up!"


    After a moment''s hesitation, Gwh nodded.


    Hawthorne had been spinning lies to


    her face, and she had no concrete proof. It was always Patti Yale


    lurking in the background, stirring up trouble Having witnessed the arguments between her own parents, she knew all too well how


    men could talk their way out of anything. She wasn''t going to get the truth from Hawthorne.


    If she could catch him with another woman, it might actually be a good thing. Then, when she decided to leave, Hawthorne would have no grounds to object. Once she had evidence against him, she could negotiate terms—like securing legal custody of their two children and discussing their future divorce.


    She couldn''t let Hawthorne use their marriage as a smokescreen while he lived a double life with his mistress To the world, he was a sessful man and a model Mr. Everhart, but in reality, what was the difference the difference


    between him and any other scumbag? He was worse than her own father, who at least had the guts to stand up for his wife and daughter when it mattered. What would Hawthorne do? He''d probably side with his mistress and help her hurt his own wife and children.


    With that thought, Gwh said firmly, "I''ll go with you."


    Leonie instantly regretted having bbed about the apartment where her uncle and Patti Yale used to meet. Connor had always been interested in her aunt; this was the perfect opportunity for him to drive a wedge between them. But the cat was out of the bag, and it was toote to stop it.


    "Don''t you want to change first?" Connor asked, noticing Gwh was still in herfortable loungewear, her long hair loose down her back and her feet in soft slippers.