CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR #2
There, on the screen, was the photo I’d sent to Preston the night Nash and I met.
The night Nash and I had connected like soul mates at the bar while I went by the name Scarlett, and then we’d taken things up to that penthouse and spent the night fucking like animals.
There I was—tits out, Nash buried deep inside me, his handsome grin extra devilish in the selfie he’d snapped at my request. I’d sent this picture to Preston as revenge, to prove to him that I didn’t care I’d caught him cheating.
“That was the night I met Nash,” I blurted, my cheeks heating up.
Despite how inappropriate it was to see this picture here, in the office of my new family lawyer, it was kind of hot.
God, we looked good. “I’d just discovered Preston was cheating on me, and I hooked up with Nash, and sent this as a final fuck you to Preston.
God, this is—I’m sorry you had to see this. How could Preston use this against me?”
She grimaced. “I’ve seen and heard it all, so your guess is as good as mine. But based on the timelines and the attack he’s launching, my guess is that he’ll use it to either claim you cheated on him, or to establish a pattern of promiscuity.”
“But how is it promiscuous if I ended up marrying the guy?”
“Like I said, I’ve seen and heard it all, so we need to be prepared. I’m going to do my best to get this thrown out, but it’s in his arsenal now.”
I felt like my eyes were permanently saucer-shaped after witnessing my only known pornographic photo presented to me in the luxurious office of my new lawyer. We wrapped up a few other details, went over next steps, and then we were done.
I stood on numb legs, gathering my used tissues, my purse, my shattered dignity.
For however good Heather was in family court, I still had a nagging feeling that something else lurked in the shadows.
But there was something even bigger pressing down on me, sucking the life out of me.
I needed to figure out how to tell Nash that the cat was out of the bag. Somehow, Preston had known to ask for the marriage contract.
The town car ride home was a blur. I stared out the window at the city passing by, surrounded by the quiet luxury of the back seat. Nothing captured the enormity of what had just happened. Everything we’d been working toward now hung in a precarious balance.
The truth was, there were no right words.
But I had to tell him. Today. Right now. Before I lost my nerve.
I practiced the conversation in my head the entire ride home, my knee bouncing anxiously against the leather seat. By the time the car pulled up to the building, I'd settled on a version that felt honest: I met with Heather. There's something I need to tell you about the custody case. Can we talk?
Simple. Direct. Then I'd explain everything.
I pushed open the penthouse door and immediately heard Mia's giggle coming from the living room.
Relief washed over me—Nash was home. I could do this. We'd sit down, I'd explain, and he'd understand. He had to understand.
I rounded the corner and froze.
Nash was standing near Mia, but he wasn't playing. He was on his phone, his face pale, his expression tight with worry. Trojan stood nearby, holding Nash's jacket and a small overnight bag.
"I'm heading to the plane right now," Nash said, his voice strained. "Yes, I’ll go. You come when you can." He ran a hand through his hair. "Yes, Arch. I’ll let you know. I’ll see you there."
He ended the call and looked at Trojan. "Car's ready?"
"Downstairs waiting."
Nash finally noticed me standing in the doorway. Devastation written across his face. "Clara. I was just about to call you."
"What's wrong? What happened?" I moved closer, the session with Heather evaporating from my mind.
"My mom's in the ER. Something happened with her heart." His hands were shaking as he shoved his phone in his pocket. "I have to get to Cleveland."
"Oh no. Is she okay?"
"I don't know yet. She can’t talk." His face was creased with worry. "I have to go. I'm so sorry."
"Nash, go." I grabbed his hands, steadying them. "Your mom needs you. Don't even think about anything else."
"Naff leaving?" Mia appeared at his side, tugging on his pant leg. She'd been building a block tower on the floor, oblivious to the crisis unfolding.
Nash crouched down to her level, and I watched his expression shift—forcing a calm smile for her. "Yeah, little dragon. I have to go see my mommy for a few days. She's not feeling good."
"She sick?"
"Yeah, sweetheart. But the doctors are going to help her feel better."
Mia's face crumpled. "I want you to stay."
"I know. I want to stay too." He pulled her into a hug, pressing his face into her hair. "But I'll be back soon. And you're going to have fun with your mommy, okay? Maybe you can draw me a picture while I'm gone."
"A dragon picture?"
"The best dragon picture you've ever made." He kissed the top of her head, then stood, his eyes glistening.
Trojan handed him his jacket and bag. "Ready when you are."
"Thanks." Nash turned to me, pulling me into a quick, desperate embrace. "I'll call you as soon as I know anything.”
I nodded, my throat too tight to speak. Because I had news that would destroy him, and I couldn't tell him. Not now. Not when his mother might be dying.
"I love you," I whispered into his shoulder, unsure if he’d even heard me.
"I love you too.” His voice was soft in my ear. He grabbed his bag and headed for the door, Trojan following.
"Bye, Naff!" Mia called, waving frantically.
"Bye, little dragon!" Nash blew her a kiss from the doorway, then he was gone.
The penthouse felt impossibly quiet. I stood there, still holding my purse, carrying the weight of what I'd done at Heather's office. And Nash had no idea.
Mia tugged on my hand. "Mommy? Is Naff's mommy real sick?"
The way she said it sounded more like thick. "I hope not, baby." I picked her up, needing to hold her. "But the doctors are going to take good care of her."
"And Naff will help her feel better?"
"Yeah. Naff will help her feel better."
I carried her back to the living room, settling on the couch with her in my lap. She curled against me, content, and I stroked her hair. I stayed there for a while, long enough for Mia to wander off and get lost in her toys again. I lost track of time. Finally, my phone buzzed.
NASH: Boarding now. I'll call when I land. Thank you for understanding. I love you both.
I stared at the message, tears blurring my vision.
CLARA: I love you too.
But there was so much more I wanted to say. I submitted our contract to the court. Everything we've been working toward is in jeopardy. They knew.
But you’ll tell him soon, I told myself. Just wait until Teri is okay.
Then I could face whatever came next.
Nash was in Ohio for three days.
He texted often with updates. The doctors were running tests. They were keeping Teri for observation. It might have been a mild heart attack. It might have been a stroke. Nobody knew.
Each time he called, I almost told him. The words sat on my tongue, heavy and terrible.
Nash, there's something I need to tell you about the custody case.
But then he'd say something like, "I'm so tired, babe. I haven't slept at all," or "Mom's scared and trying to hide it," and I'd swallow the words back down.
I couldn't do it over the phone. Not while he was already drowning.
By day two, Mia kept asking when Naff was coming home. I kept saying soon, even though I had no idea.
By day three, Nash finally called with good news.
"They’re releasing her," he said, and I could hear the relief in his voice. "She’s getting medication and instructions to see a cardiologist for follow-up. But she's okay. She's going to be okay."
"Thank God," I breathed. "When are you coming home?"
"Tonight. I'm getting her settled at home first, making sure she has everything she needs. But I should be back by eight or nine."
After we hung up, time moved in a gelatinous blur.
Mere minutes felt like hours, yet somehow time evaporated and suddenly Nash was walking through the door.
His hair was a mess, his clothes rumpled, dark circles under his eyes.
But even in this state, with so much heaviness in the air, the sight of him made everything in my world feel right.
The ice blue eyes seared through me and I moved toward him without even trying.
Mia launched herself at him. "Naff! You're home!"
He caught her, holding her tight. "Hey, little dragon. I missed you so much."
After the excitement of Naff’s return, it was time to put Mia to bed. Nash helped with the bedtime routine and once she was down, Nash collapsed on the couch.
"I'm exhausted. That was the longest three days of my life."
I sank down beside him, tracing the lines in his palm with my fingertip. "I’m so glad she’s okay.”
He watched me tracing patterns for a moment, and the silence reminded me this was it. Now was the time.
"Nash, there's something I need to tell you." I forced myself to meet his gaze. "Something about the custody case."
His expression shifted, concern replacing exhaustion. "What happened?"
I drew a shaky breath. "When I met with Heather on Thursday…there was a new…development."
"Okay."
"Preston's team filed motions requesting financial disclosures.
Including any contracts or agreements related to our marriage.
" I watched his face, saw confusion clouding his features.
"Heather asked me a bunch of questions and I…well, our contract came up. Somehow. She said that Preston’s team was asking, and that NDAs don't protect you in custody cases. It seemed like they knew already.” The words were tumbling out bulky, strange, rushed.
“She advised me to submit it first. To get ahead of it. "
Nash went very still. "Submit it."
"To the court. As evidence." I could feel the emotion forming a fist in my chest. "I'm so sorry, Nash. I didn't have a choice. If Preston's team raised it first, they'd use it to destroy me in court. Heather said—"
”When did this happen?" His voice was quiet. Dangerous.
"Thursday. During the meeting with Heather."
He was silent for a long time. I could practically feel him turn to stone beside me, and my entire body went electric with awareness.
"Thursday." He pulled his hand away from mine. "The day I left."
"I wanted to tell you as soon as I got home, but you were dealing with your mom, and I—I just couldn't…"
He blinked a few times, seeming to process my words. His jaw ticked and he started examining his hands, turning his wedding band around and around. “And you couldn’t what? Mention it at any point during the course of three days?”
His voice held a hard edge that sent dread spiraling through me. I could already feel how badly this was going, and that made me panic.
“I did not want to add more to your plate until we knew your mom was going to make it,” I said in a low, shaky voice.
“You wouldn’t have added more to the plate,” Nash hissed. “The marriage is the plate. Do you get that?”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “I hate this turn of events. But there was no choice. There wasn’t. We had to either submit the contract first or let Preston weaponize it. Nash, somehow they knew.”
Nash’s jaw was flexing now, his stony gaze staring at something far off in the distance. I got the sense that he didn’t even want to look at me right now.
“There had to be some other option,” he finally spat. “There’s no fucking way. That—that puts everything at risk. Do you understand that?”
I couldn’t keep the tremble out of my voice. “Of course I do! But Nash—”
“And where was I in this? You didn’t think to involve me?”
I opened my mouth to defend myself but nothing came out. Regret crashed over me. I should have called him on the spot. He was right. I fucked up.
Painful silence stretched between us, but all I could hear was his anger thumping between us.
He expelled a sigh and stood abruptly, storming out of the room. “I need to go.”
I watched him leave, unable to even squeak out a small “wait.” A moment later, a door slammed shut.
He was gone.
And I was left in the penthouse I now called home, more alone than I’d ever felt before.