CHAPTER 22
Nolan watched her as if testing whether she truly understood what she was asking for. And why wouldn’t she? In just a few minutes he had offered more real action than she’d seen in the last agonizing month.
“First,” he said after a long silence, “you’ll need to go through an independent psychiatric evaluation.”
Nina’s fingers tightened around each other.
“Another one?”
“Yes. A second opinion from an unaffiliated specialist. We’ll need an official report declaring you fully competent. That won’t be a problem, will it?”
She nodded—though something cold twisted inside her. God… what if she failed? Why was she suddenly doubting herself?
Nolan leaned forward, lacing his fingers.
“If the diagnosis doesn’t hold, my people will prove the original report was fabricated. That makes every legal decision based on it void.”
Nina froze. Was that really possible? Could she actually have a chance?
“That can work?” Her voice was softer than she wanted it to be.
“It can,” Nolan said, his gaze steady. “But that’s only the first step.”
She drew a breath.
“And the next one?”
Nolan settled back into his chair and rolled a pen between his fingers.
“Next…” He paused, as if gauging how far she was truly willing to go. “I’ll tap a few contacts in the system.”
Heat flushed through her. They really were going to play big.
“The psychiatrist who signed your commitment report,” Nolan continued, “will get a visit from a plant.”
She blinked.
“A what?”
“A decoy patient,” he clarified. “Someone who’ll pretend they need the same kind of paperwork you got. Let them catch him on the bribe. It’s good PR for them, bumps their clearance rate.”
A slow, unsettling smile curled on his lips. Apparently Nolan was capable of far more than she’d imagined.
Nina went still.
“When that happens, there’ll be an internal investigation,” he went on. “And once they look at his files, your case will surface.”
Her chest tightened.
“That would mean criminal charges… for Frank?”
Nolan nodded.
“Fraud. Falsification of medical documents. Serious offenses. Unless you’re not looking for something that drastic for your husband.”
He narrowed his eyes slightly, studying her. Nina couldn’t breathe. She didn’t want to hope—but the hope forced its way in anyway. If this worked… Frank wouldn’t just lose everything. He’d face time behind bars.
Frank Osborne—untouchable, shielded by wealth and connections his entire life. But maybe not anymore.
She inhaled, long and shaky.
“When can I do the evaluation?” she asked.
“I will schedule you at the earliest availability,” Nolan said after a brief assessment of her expression.
The earliest possible is perfect," she confirmed.
“You agree quickly.”
“Do I have a choice?”
His smile sharpened.
“Have you already filed for divorce?”
She swallowed and nodded.
“Yes. But there’s no court date yet.”
“Good.” Nolan set the pen aside. “Next week, I’ll introduce you to the person who’ll represent you in court.”
Her brows lifted.
“It won’t be you?”
A low laugh left him—smooth, amused, and cold enough to make her palms sweat.
“Looks like Jasper didn’t explain what I actually do. Typical.” Nolan shook his head, still smiling. “He sent you here blind. I usually don’t take cases from wronged wives, but since he asked personally…”
At Jasper’s name, everything inside her knotted. The idea that her salvation might come from the man who’d once destroyed her life felt twisted and wrong.
She studied Nolan carefully. Danger radiated from him—quiet, effortless, lethal. Nina had met men worth fearing, but Nolan… Nolan was a different breed entirely. A man who could smile at you and, in the next second, ruin your life without lifting his voice.
“I handle the radical parts,” he said calmly. “My partner deals with everything the courts need.”
She swallowed hard.
“Radical…?”
His smile softened into something almost playful.
“The kind of things you’re better off not knowing.”
Her throat went dry. She looked away, fists curling in her lap.
“Don’t worry,” he added. “The lawyer I’ll assign you is excellent.”
She nodded.
“Do you need anything else from me?” Her voice trembled slightly. “An advance? More documents?”
“Just wait for my call. And live your life as if nothing’s happening. Show up at events. Put on a steady front. Let people question the rumors about you. For today, that’s all.”
She rose slowly.
“Thank you,” she managed. She turned to leave—and hesitated.
“There’s something else.”
Nolan’s attention sharpened.
“My family’s company released a new medication recently,” Nina said. “The research started when my father was still alive. But the clinical trials showed low efficacy, so he shut the project down. He and Frank argued about it for months. And a couple weeks ago I saw an ad for that drug.”
Nolan frowned.
“They launched it anyway?”
“I doubt they ran new trials. They wouldn’t have had time.”
“I’ll look into it,” he said. “You do understand—if that drug fails on the market, the company takes a hit? A big one.”
“I understand. But if Frank can’t be prosecuted, then any method works. I could record him admitting something—”
Nolan interrupted her with an amused shake of the head.
“A recording won’t hold up. We need a case so airtight even a miracle won’t help him. Leave that to me.”
She turned and walked out, feeling tension coil again through her shoulders. The hallway was quiet as she made her way back into the main room.
Julian stood at the counter. When he saw her, he stepped out and handed her a small paper bag with the shop’s logo.
She blinked.
“What is this?”
“A book,” he said simply.
Nina peered inside. A vintage edition. Expensive. Worn from time, but obviously valuable.
“But I didn’t buy anything.”
“We’ll add it to the tab,” Julian said with a mild smile. “You can’t leave without a purchase.”
She met his eyes and understood.
Cover operation. Clean accounting trail. Nothing suspicious. Genius.
A faint shiver passed through her. She felt like she’d stepped into the middle of a crime thriller. How many people like Nolan did Jasper know? How many dangerous men moved in his orbit?
She tightened her grip on the bag.
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
“Anytime,” Julian replied.
Nina stepped outside. The cool evening air brushed her skin like a reminder to stay grounded. She glanced toward the corner—and of course, the same black sedan was still there.
Good.
Let Frank’s people watch her walk out of an antique shop with a paper bag.
Let them think she was wasting her time, her money, her nerves. Let them think she’d surrendered. Let them think she was harmless.
Nina walked toward her car, slow, steady, composed. They had no idea that she was preparing for war.