Emma
I pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot fifteen minutes earlier than I needed to. Not because I was eager… okay, to be candid, somewhere under the layers of practiced calm, I was eager, but I came earlier because I needed a moment. A quiet one.
The restaurant was upscale but it was also discreet ans it was why I chose for us to meet there even though it was far from my house. It was nestled in a quiet block about three streets away from the courthouse.
This was the kind of place where attorneys held power lunches and judges met with donors or campaign advisors. Private enough for whispers, classy enough to make secrets feel civilized.
I turned off the engine and sat there for a second, watching my reflection in the rearview mirror. My lipstick was still perfect and my hair was
