ble shield in front of the trembling Carlee. Her gaze,

al address was a concession, an acknowledgment of Genevieve's new position

ckered in his eyes. He looked at Carlee, his expression plea

ned pride. "You won't get a single dime from me!" she spat at Ge

oman, this is not the time for pride," she whispered urgently. "

t drained out of Carlee, replaced by a flicker of fear. Her jaw snapp

s was a negotiation between them, not her. She turned

gal scholar, "an educational degree obtained during a marriage is considered marital proper

schooling a Yale-educated lawyer on divorce l

land a low blow. "You have no children w

wound, to shame her. For a fraction of a seco

usly smooth. "This isn't alimony, Miss Roman. This is a return on investment. I fund

carried and pulled out a slim file folder. She pl

stapled. At the top of the first page, a title was printed in a clean,

the blood in his veins se

preadsheet. Metic

even columns for "Category" and "Notes." Scanned copies of recei

th with a $4,000 watch she had bought him for his birthday. It was all there. Every coffee, every t

of detail, the sheer obsessive thoroughness, was staggering. This wasn't the work of an emotional, scorned wife.

ulder. He let out an impressed whistle. "Damn.

ability, every time he had leaned on her for support, was now laid bare, quanti

itchen table, sorting through receipts and balancing their budget. He had found it

control fina

r. "When did you start this? Genevieve... how

finger, once, twice. Her gaze was dis

time you lied to me about where you were, so you c

tered the last of his self-delusions. This wasn't a recent betraya

mplied. She was realizing, far too late, that the woman she had dismissed a

Genevieve with a new, grudging respect. "Mrs. H

were fixed on Jaycob. There was no ang

t, Jaycob," she said softly. "A

look away from the spreadsheet

moment of silence before d

hier's check in my hand. Otherwise, this portfolio, along with M

ed curtl

erence room, leaving behind a ruined man, a furi