“Yes. She called me in tears. She caught her husband cheating on her.” I shook my head, feigning disgust. “Can you believe it? After everything she did for him. So I told her to get a divorce immediately. I told her I’d help her since I know Mark, right? He’s the best lawyer in the city.”

The tension drained out of him instantly. His shoulders slumped, and he let out a long, shaky breath, running a hand through his hair.

“Oh, God,” he whispered. He pulled me into a crushing hug, burying his face in my neck. “I thought… I thought you were talking about us. I thought you were going to divorce me.”

His grip was tight. Possessive.

“You scared me to death, Maureen,” he mumbled against my skin. “Don’t ever say that word in this house again.”

I stood stiffly in his arms for a second before forcing myself to relax, to pat his back.

“Why would I divorce you, Brandon?” I pulled back slightly, looking him dead in the eye. “Did you cheat on me?”

He froze. Just for a microsecond. A flicker of something dark passed behind his eyes before the mask slammed back into place.

“Of course not!” He looked offended, hurt even. He cupped my face in his hands, his thumbs stroking my cheeks. “I would never do that to you. You’re my life, Maureen. I worship the ground you walk on. How could you even ask that?”

“Good,” I said softly, my voice laced with a hidden warning. “Because I would never forgive you if you cheated on me. That’s the one thing I can’t survive.”

“You’ll never have to worry about that,” he promised, kissing my forehead. The lie tasted bitter on my skin. “I’d never hurt you.”

He pulled back, smiling that dazzling, boyish smile that used to make my knees weak.

“How about we forget this gloom? It’s our anniversary tomorrow. Let’s go out tonight. There’s a charity auction at the gallery. I’ll get you something beautiful. Anything you want.”

I nodded, forcing a smile. “Okay. Let’s go.”

The auction was a sea of black ties and designer gowns. Champagne flowed, diamonds sparkled under the chandeliers, and everyone was watching us. The Golden Couple.

Brandon held my hand the entire time, parading me around like a trophy.

“Look at that,” I said, pointing to the catalog. Item 45. A rare, vintage sapphire necklace. It was breathtaking, deep blue like the ocean. “It’s beautiful.”

“You want it?” Brandon asked, squeezing my hand. “It’s yours.”