36
MADELINE
Hudson’s office door slammed shut, and the heavy quietness left me unsettled. Hurt. Angry. And a ton of other emotions roiled like sludge in my heart. Depression wanted to swoop in and steal my thoughts, but I clenched my jaw and focused on the job ahead of me.
A meltdown could wait.
The image on Hudson’s cell screen haunted my mind though, and I struggled to make sense of its truth.
Maybe Colton hadn’t heard Ryan’s name when Hudson had supposedly told him it. Maybe Ryan was an ex that Colton had chosen to leave behind and wanted nothing to do with. Maybe he’d been drinking or forgot the night that picture had been taken. Perhaps it’d been nothing more than a quick hookup at the club showcased in the background, no names exchanged.
But how had Peter gotten the photo?
I s
