Chapter 36
Kori
I stare at my phone for a long moment, Kane’s eyes on me.
“Are you sure?” he asks gently. “After everything she did...”
“I don’t know what she did anymore,” I admit. “Mark was at Wavecrest before he came here. What if he’s been manipulating both of us?”
Kane nods slowly, then moves to the ornate fireplace across the room. “Make the call. I’ll give you some privacy.”
As he arranges kindling and logs, I pull up Lana’s number. My thumb hovers over it, trembling slightly. This woman—my sister, my best friend growing up—has become a stranger to me. The thought of hearing her voice makes my stomach clench.
But I need answers.
I press call before I can change my mind. The phone rings once, twice, three times. I’m about to hang up when she answers.
“Kori?” Her voice is small, uncertain.
“Hi,” I say stiffly, watching Kane light the fire. Flames catch quickly, casting dancing shadows across the room.
“Oh my god, I can’t believe you called.” She sounds like she’s been crying. “I’ve been trying to reach you for days.”
“I’ve been busy.” The coldness in my voice surprises even me.
“I know. I know you hate me. You should hate me.” Her words tumble out in a rush. “But Kori, I need to tell you—”
“That you slept with my husband?” I interrupt, anger flaring hot and sudden. “I saw the pictures, Lana.”
The fire crackles as Kane adds another log, careful to keep his back to me, giving me space.
“It wasn’t what you think,” she whispers. “Mark, he—” Her voice breaks, and I hear a muffled sob.
Despite everything, the sound twists something in my chest. I’ve never been able to bear hearing Lana cry, not since we were kids.
“Lana,” I say, softer now. “Just tell me the truth. Please.”
What comes next is worse than anything I imagined.
Between sobs, Lana tells me how it started—Mark cornering her at a company party, making suggestive comments.
How she laughed it off at first, thinking it was just drunk talk.
Then came the explicit texts, which she ignored.
The “accidental” touches whenever I wasn’t looking—the escalation.
“He said he’d have me fired,” she chokes out. “Said he’d make sure I never worked in marketing again. That he’d tell you I came on to him, that I’d been obsessed with him for years.”
I close my eyes, nausea rising in my throat. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was ashamed. Scared. I didn’t think you’d believe me over him.” Her voice drops even lower. “And then he threatened to release photos of me from college. Those stupid drunk pictures from spring break. Said he’d send them to my boss.”
Kane glances over his shoulder, concern etched on his face as he sees my expression. I give him a slight nod to show I’m okay.
“When did it start?” I ask, dreading the answer.
“Six months ago.” The admission hangs between us. “I tried to stop it, Kori. I swear I did. But every time I pulled away, he’d threaten something worse.”
I think of Mark’s face today, contorted with rage as he grabbed me. The possessiveness, the entitlement. How could I have missed who he really was?
“He was here today,” I tell her, my voice surprisingly steady. “He put a tracker in my bag and followed me to Canada.”
“Oh god.” Her breath catches. “Did he hurt you?”
I look down at the bruises forming on my arm. “He tried. Kane stopped him.”
“Kane?” she asks, confusion evident.
“Someone I met. It’s complicated.” I don’t have the energy to explain everything now. “Mark was furious, Lana. More than I’ve ever seen him.”
A long pause, then: “He came by my apartment this morning.”
Something in her tone makes my skin crawl. “What happened?”
“He was looking for you.” Her voice is barely audible now. “When I said I didn’t know where you were, he...” She trails off, and I hear her take a shaky breath. “He hit me, Kori. More than once. Said it was my fault you left.”
The room seems to tilt around me. Mark—my husband, the man I thought I knew—had beaten my sister and had tried to drag me into a car against my will. What else was he capable of?
“Lana, you need to go to the police.”
“I can’t,” she whispers. “The photos. My job. He said if I told anyone—”
“Fuck the photos,” I snap, anger surging again, but this time directed at Mark. “Fuck the job. He assaulted you. He tracked me across continents. This isn’t normal, Lana. This is dangerous.”
Kane turns entirely now, alerted by the urgency in my voice. He approaches slowly, his expression questioning. I cover the phone with my hand.
“Mark beat Lana this morning,” I explained quickly. “She’s terrified he’ll come back.”
Kane’s jaw tightens, but his voice is calm when he speaks. “Is she somewhere safe?”
I shake my head, then ask into the phone, “Where are you right now?”
“My apartment,” she answers. “I called in sick to work. I look... It’s bad, Kori.”
I make a split-second decision. “Hold on a minute,” I tell her, then lower the phone.
“Kane,” I begin, not sure how to ask this. “I know it’s a lot, especially after everything, but would it be okay if Lana came here? Just until we figure something out. She’s not safe in the city if Mark goes back.”
I expect hesitation, maybe even refusal. After all, Lana is part of the reason I ended up on that plane to Ireland, the reason I crashed into his life. But Kane doesn’t hesitate.
“Of course,” he says immediately.
Relief floods through me. “Thank you,” I whisper, squeezing his hand before returning to the call.
“Lana? Listen to me. Pack a bag.”
“A bag?” she echoes, clearly confused. “Kori, what are you talking about?”
“I’m staying with... friends. They have resources.” It’s easier than explaining the MacGallan dynasty right now. “You’ll be safe here, I promise.”
“But what about work? My apartment?”
“Email work that you have a family emergency. We’ll figure out the rest later. The important thing is getting you somewhere Mark can’t find you.”
There’s a long pause, and I can almost hear her weighing her options, calculating risks.
“Okay,” she finally says. “When?”
“Tonight, if possible,” I tell her. “I’ll call with details. Pack light but bring anything important.”
“Kori?” Her voice catches. “I’m so sorry. For everything.”
I close my eyes, emotions warring within me.
Part of me is still angry, still hurt by the betrayal—even though I understand the circumstances.
But a larger part remembers the sister who held my hand on the first day of school, who stayed up all night when my first boyfriend dumped me, who always had my back before Mark came between us.
“We’ll talk more when you get here,” I say, not quite ready to offer forgiveness but no longer consumed by rage. “Just stay safe until then.”
After we hang up, I sink onto the edge of the bed, suddenly exhausted. Kane sits beside me, close but not touching, giving me space to process.
I look at him, this man who barely knows me yet is moving heaven and earth to help. “Thank you. I know this is a lot to ask, but do you think everyone will be upset?”
“No, absolutely not. It’s nothing,” he says with a slight shrug. “Besides, I’m pretty sure Mia would be happy to have a word with Mark if he shows his face here again.”
Despite everything, I laugh at the image of the petite former assassin facing down my soon-to-be-ex-husband. “I almost wish he would try.”
Kane’s expression turns serious. “Your sister should still file a police report, Kori. What Mark did—to both of you—it’s criminal.”
“I know,” I sigh, leaning against his shoulder. “One step at a time, though. First, get her somewhere safe.”
He wraps an arm around me, careful of my bruises. “You’re a good sister. After everything, your first instinct was still to protect her.”
“She’s family,” I say simply. “And now I understand she was a victim too.”
We sit in silence for a minute, watching the fire burn down to glowing embers. The weight of the day settles over me—Mark’s appearance, the confrontation, Lana’s revelations, all of it swirling together in a toxic stew of emotions.
“What happens now?” I ask, not sure if I’m talking about Lana, Mark, Alberta, or us.