CHAPTER 11: A Mistress With No Runway

Brooke moved toward the small lavatory as if distance could restore dignity.
Claire did not stop her. Neither did Ryan. That silence injured Brooke more than any insult would have.
At the doorway, Brooke turned back. "He told me you were separating. He told me you had no interest in the company."
Claire's expression did not change.
"He told you what made theft sound romantic."
Brooke looked down at the diamond. For the first time, it seemed heavy rather than bright.
Ryan said her name once, quietly, with warning in it.
She did not answer him.
The woman who had entered the jet expecting to become visible now understood the cost of being seen clearly. Her messages, her calendar notes, the ring purchase, the revised seating plan, the landing instruction--all of it had moved from seduction into evidence.
She stepped into the narrow hallway and closed the door with trembling care.
No one followed. There was nowhere to go.