Even in such rxed, domestic attire, she was breathtakingly beautiful.


    Gwh had inherited all of Victoria''s beauty. When she was quiet, her delicate, fine-boned face possessed a ssic, timeless elegance.


    "No, this is fine. Let''s not waste any time."


    Gwh figured she wasn''t going to a ball, so she didn''t need to get all dressed up. Connor''s suggestion was meant to be helpful; he thought she should at least put on some makeup and a nice outfit, so she wouldn''t look disheveled and unprepared when she confronted the other woman. He imagined that Patti Yale probably spent her days dolled up like a butterfly to seduce Hawthorne. In a side-by-sideparison, Gwh might seem to fall short.


    "Whatever you want."


    Connor was trying to look out for her, but Gwh wasn''t interested. She wasn''t going topete with Patti Yale; she was going to expose Hawthorne''s lies.


    After Gwh got into the car, Connor instructed Leonie, "Buckle up. We''re heading out."


    Of the three of them in the car, only Leonie''s heart was pounding with anxiety. Gwh''s face was a nk mask, as if she had already epted the oue. Connor wore a smug grin,pletely unconcerned about what was toe. He had video proof; of course, he trusted his friend.


    Thanks to Connor''s driving, it wasn''t long before they arrived at Hawthorne and Patti Yale''s supposed love nest.


    A small, three-story apartment building appeared before them.


    Leonie hesitated, reluctant to get out of the car. Gwh stared at the building, an unexpected wave of panic and nervousness washing over her. Was this what it felt like to catch your husband cheating? Her own mother, Victoria, must have felt this way when she went to Violet Marchand and McNeil Langford''s apartment on Winding Peak Lane. She remembered the look of despair in her mother''s eyes, followed by hysteria when she saw Violet-especially since Violet was wearing the very wedding dress her mother had nned to wear for her anniversary with her father.


    The scene from the past seemed to be reying itself, and for a moment, Gwh felt disoriented.


    Connor prodded from the side. "Not getting out?"


    The apartment was dark. Leonie clung to a sliver of hope. "This is the only apartment of Uncle''s that I know of. There are no lights on, so they''re definitely not here. Maybe we should just go."


    If there was no activity, then they couldn''t prove anything. Her uncle probably hadn''t been here in years, but he hadn''t sold the property either; it was still in his name.


    Through the car window, Gwh gazed at the building. Not even the porch light was on, only the faint, yellow glow from a near streetlight. They waited in the car for a while. Since no one seemed to be home, there was no point in getting out to investigate.


    Only Connor muttered under his breath,menting their terrible luck. It was almost midnight. Could Hawthorne and his woman still be out?


    Just as he had the thought, two bright headlights swept across the road in the distance.


    A ck SUV pulled up and parked smoothly in front of the apartment, about two hundred yards from Connor''s car. Arge, century-oldree conveniently blocked their view, so the people in the other car didn''t see them.


    The string of identical numbers on the license te made both Leonie''s and Gwh''s hearts clench. They both recognized it. It was Hawthorne''s car.


    Connor''s lips curled into a smirk. "Speak of the devil."


    The moment Hawthorne stepped out and helped Patti Yale from the passenger seat, Gwh threw open Connor''s car door. Connor and Leonie both lunged to stop her, but they were toote.


    Leonie scrambled out and ran in


    front of Gwh, intercepting Hawthorne, first. "Uncle, what is the meaning of this?" she yelled. "How could you? Don''t you know you''re married, it''s the middle of the night. and instead of going home, youe here! What happened to everything you said? You said you only loved Auntie, so what is this? You''re married, and you''re running around having an affair?"


    Seeing Patti Yale, Leonie couldn''t stop the torrent of usations from pouring out.


    Before Hawthorne could say a word, Gwh slowly walked up from behind.


    When Hawthorne saw Gwh, his expression turned to ice. He looked at Patti Yale. "You go inside first."