Finnughed. "A gentleman doesn''t take what another holds dear. Besides, you''re Evangeline''s family, which makes you my family. Forget thend. Give Kearney Carlisle my regards." He paused. "As for my price... let''s leave it open. I''ll let you know when I think of something."


    After hanging up, Finn leaned back, tapping his fingers on the desk in thought. He''d always been more interested in what people didn''t say than what they did. Words were often lies; the truthy in the silence. Glenn was clearly hiding something.


    Despite his calm demeanor, Finn knew Glenn resented him for being with Evangeline. He didn''t trust him, yet he had called and asked him for the ultimate favor: to protect her. To an outsider, it might look like an act of desperation. But Finn knew Glenn wasn''t the type to panic. He was a meticulous nner who considered every angle. That meant calling him, however risky, was the most reliable move he had left.


    What could possibly push him to take such a drastic step?


    Finn''s fingers stilled. Could Victor have another n already in motion back in Serenity City?


    The next morning, Evangeline had just finished getting ready when a text from Finn arrived. She got dressed and went downstairs to find his car waiting at the curb. As she buckled her seatbelt, she asked casually, "How did you know I moved?"


    Finn smiled. "Because it''s my house."


    She was surprised by his blunt honesty. "You''re just going to admit it? I thought you''d at least try to deny it first." If he had imed he''d simply looked her up, she wouldn''t have known the difference.


    "The lease is signed. Are you going to break it?" he asked, his eyes twinkling.


    She shook her head. "But next time, you don''t have to be so sneaky. I appreciate the gesture."


    "All of my gestures?" he pressed.


    She considered it, then nodded. "Yes. All of them."


    Finn just smiled without another word.


    "So, that call yesterday morning," she continued, "you were there, weren''t you?"


    He sighed and gently ran his fingers through her hair. "Evangeline, sometimes I wish you weren''t so clever."


    "Is that apliment?"


    "Isn''t it obvious?" He looked at her, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "But being too clever isn''t always a good thing. Sometimes, a little ignorance is bliss."


    Hisment felt strangely out of ce. She knew she hadn''t figured it out because she was smart; she''d figured it out because he hadn''t tried very hard to hide it. If he truly wanted to deceive her, she wouldn''t stand a chance. Still, she agreed with his sentiment. A little ignorance would certainly make life lessplicated.


    She didn''t dwell on it.


    When they arrived at the office, the atmosphere was tense. Theo Shaw''s face was grim, and the sales manager was anxiously running a hand through his hair.


    "What''s wrong?" Evangeline asked.


    Theo didn''t answer, but the sales manager sighed heavily. "Fawkes Enterprises made its move. All those corporate partnerships we secured for the high-end market just vanished. Apparently, Soren called them himself."