"You really just can''t catch a break, can you? After everything you''ve been through, you''re still thinking about cooking for yourself?"


    Millie hooked her arm through Reese''s and grinned. "No way. We''re eating out tonight. Time to get rid of all this bad luck. Come on, dinner''s on me. Let''s go big."


    Before Reese could even protest, Millie was already pulling her downstairs and straight to the city''s hottest French restaurant, The Gilded Terrace.


    They''d barely rolled up to the front. Reese was just stepping out of Millie''s fire-red Ferrari when a familiar face caught her eye.


    Sebastian stood at the entrance, tall and sharp in a dark grey designer suit, looking every bit the cool, collected CEO. Leslie was on his arm, bundled up in a pale pink faux fur coat.


    The second Leslie spotted Reese getting out of the car, she shot her a smug little smile, holding Sebastian tighter and leaning even closer to him, like she was showing off a prize.


    However, Sebastian''s eyes had never left Reese since she arrived.


    He knew she was out on bail. He''d had someone follow her, just to be sure. Deep down, he''d never really wanted to send her to jail. He knew the evidence he gave the police wasn''t enough to prove she was guilty. Honestly, he never believed Reese could hurt his grandfather.


    He was just furious. Furious at how Reese had treated him.


    He''d only wanted to teach her a lesson.


    When he heard it was Millie, not Matthew, who picked Reese up from the police station, he''d actually felt relieved. And when he found out the girls had a reservation at The Gilded Terrace, he hesitated for a moment, then called Leslie and asked her to join him for dinner.


    He wanted Reese to see that he didn''tck options. That he could have any woman he wanted, whenever he wanted.


    He wanted to see her jealous, upset... Anything, as long as she still cared enough to react.


    But Reese just gave him a cool, indifferent nce, like he was a stranger she barely recognized. Then she turned to Millie and smiled. "I heard their steak is amazing. Let''s get inside."


    Sebastian watched them walk away, his face darkening, hands clenched into fists.


    Was Reese really done with him? Did she not even care enough to hate him anymore?


    "Sebastian, let''s go inside," Leslie said quietly, noticing how tense he was. She tugged on his arm, frustrated.


    "I have things to do," Sebastian said, pulling away. He handed her the dinner reservation card. "I need to go. Dinner is on me."


    Leslie stood frozen, cheeks burning with embarrassment as she watched him walk off. After a moment, she turned and stared after Reese, her fists tight at her sides, eyes full of jealousy and resentment.


    Inside, Millie picked the most private booth she could find. The moment they sat down, she couldn''t help but vent. "Seriously, what is wrong with Sebastian?"


    "First it''s Sofia, now he''s got some new girl hanging off him. Does he think he''s some kind of peacock, just strutting around for attention?"


    Reese just picked up the menu, staying quiet.


    A waiter brought over a bottle of red wine, poured them both a generous ss, and slid the sses over.


    Once they''d ordered, Millie clinked her ss against Reese''s. "Come on, spill. What''s really going on?"


    Reese took a slow sip, letting the wine cool her nerves. Only then did she start telling Millie everything that had happened over the past few days.


    With every word, Millie just got angrier. She smacked her palm on the table, getting a few stares from the other diners.


    She lowered her voice, but she was practically shaking. "Sebastian is such a jerk! His grandfather gets


    hurt and before he even figures out


    what happened, he throws you


    under the bus and has you arrested?


    "And then he tries to use it all to ckmail you into staying married? Seriously,


    who does he think he is?"


    Millie frowned, thinking hard. "But something about this doesn''t add up.


    "This is his grandfather''s life we''re talking about. Why would he use something so serious just to threaten you?


    "If he''d really drop the charges just because you agreed not to divorce him, isn''t that too convenient?


    "Don''t tell me he already knows you''re innocent, and he''s just using this as an excuse to control you."


    Reese went quiet, finishing off her wine in one go.


    There had been so much going on, she hadn''t even thought about it that way. If


    Millie was right, then Sebastian was even scarier than she thought.


    "I don''t know," Reese finally said, her voice low.


    She didn''t want Millie getting dragged into her drama, especially where Sebastian was involved, so she changed the subject. "Enough about hun. How''s your newpanying along?"


    Millie brightened, and as they ate, they chatted about work and life,ughing and drinking until their cheeks were warm and their worries


    faded a little. After a while, Reese excused herself to use the restroom.


    When she came out, she found Leslie at the sink, fixing her lipstick in the mirror.