Since Sebastian had to head back to Ratcliff Global, he asked the driver to take Jane home to the old estate.


    The car moved quietly along the tree-lined road by Bridger Lake. The world outside felt distant, cut off by the thick ss, but inside, the mood was thick enough to touch. Jane leaned back against the leather seat, absentmindedly tracing the crocodile pattern on her handbag as Reese''s words from the courthouse kept looping in her head.


    And then there was the evidence in her bag, which was enough topletely destroy Sebastian and maybe even bring the entire Ratcliff family down. The more she thought about it, the worse she felt.


    It wasn''t until they pulled into the estate and the ornate iron gates closed behind her that Jane finally shook herself from her thoughts. She stepped out of the car, taking a deep breath as she headed up the steps.


    The butler was waiting for her at the door.


    "Ma''am, Mrs. Murphy is here with Ms. Aimee Murphy. Mrs. Ramirez and Mrs. Kim are with them as well."


    Jane stopped short, her brows knitting together, clear annoyance flickering in her eyes. "What are they doing here?"


    With everything that had happened, thest thing Jane wanted was to deal with these societydies.


    The butler hesitated, then quickly exined, "Ma''am, the funeral hasn''t happened yet. It''s tradition for thedies toe pay their respects today."


    Right. Now she remembered. It was a Bridger Lake thing. Usually, when someone from another family passed, the Ratcliffs didn''t have to do much, so she''d never really paid attention to the custom.


    Even though she was in no mood for social visits, Jane swallowed her irritation and nodded, making her way to the sunroom where guests were waiting.


    She knew the Ratcliff family was under the microscope right now. Any hint of weakness, any slip at all, and the gossip would spread like wildfire.


    Inside, thedies were gathered around a polished tea table, dressed in understated but elegant dresses, mugs cradled in their hands. Their voices were low and polite, but Jane could feel every eye in the room dart to the door as soon as she walked in.


    Thedies all stood up at once, their faces arranged into perfectly measured expressions of sympathy.


    "Mrs. Ratcliff, I''m so sorry for dropping by uninvited," Mrs. Ramirez said, her tone careful and a little hesitant. "I hope you don''t mind."


    Jane gave them a pleasant smile, satisfied that they were at least being


    respectful. “Not at all. I just stepped out for a bit. Please, sit. There''s no need to be so formal."


    Her eyesnded on the young girl standing next to Mrs. Murphy. "This must be Aimee?"


    Aimee looked almost out of ce among the older women-fresh-faced, quietly pretty, and just a little nervous.


    "Aimee, you''ve grown so much since Ist saw you," Jane said, her smile softening "Last time, you were just kid with a ponytail Now you are just gorgeous. I bet it won''t be long before all the city''s eligible bachelors are lining up."


    Aimee''s cheeks turned pink, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you."


    Mrs. Murphy jumped in, her eyes sharp with meaning. "She''s always been the shy type."


    "And it''s true-Aimee and Sebastian haven''t seen each other in years."


    Jane let out a small sigh, remembering how Aimee used to trail after Sebastian


    and his friends when they were younger. She asked casually, "Just got back from abroad, Aimee? Any ns for what''s next?"


    Mrs. Murphy and Aimee shared a look. "She might work at thepany, Mrs. Murphy said. "You know how things are for us. We just


    have this one daughter. I''m sure we''ll need Sebastian''s advice and


    help in the future.”


    "Aimee actually saw Sebastian at a g not long ago," Mrs. Murphy added. "She came home talking about how confident he''s be. She was too scared tp go up and say hi."


    Jane picked up on what Mrs.


    Murphy was hinting at, but honestly, she couldn''t bring herself to care. All she could think about was how any scandal involving Sebastian and Reese could blow up and ruin everything.


    She just smiled politely, not following Mrs. Murphy''s topic.