“No.”
That brought his full attention back to me.
I had told Liam more than I had told anyone.
But not everything.
At first, that secrecy had been practical. Then, over time, keeping pieces of myself hidden had become a reflex.
Ethan inspected receipts.
Checked my call history.
Asked why grocery trips took forty minutes instead of thirty.
Secrets were not always lies.
Sometimes they were small rooms inside my own mind where I could still breathe.
“I hired an independent firm,” I said. “Halden Forensic Advisory.”
Detective Ruiz took out a notebook.
“When?”
“Six months ago.”
“What were they reviewing?”
“Apex and its affiliated companies.”
Liam stared at me.
“Maya, I thought you were collecting personal evidence so you could leave.”
“I was.”
“And investigating Ethan’s company?”
“My company too.”
The words came out more sharply than I intended.
Pain flared through my side.
Priya, who had been reviewing my imaging report near the counter, looked over.
