The Man I Thought I Trusted - E. L. Todd Page 0,64

I’ll be there.” She set her phone down and kept eating like nothing happened.

After tomorrow afternoon, it would be over, and I wouldn’t have to worry about it again. It would be in the past—and we could move on.

23

Carson

I sat beside Charlie in his cubicle and read through his article, making marks with my pen.

Charlie sat there and watched me, his eyebrow lifting with every note I made. “That’s not good.”

“Well, it’s not your best work.”

He sighed loudly. “You’re just picky.”

“Being picky is what makes us good reporters. You know I’m helping you.” I made another mark when my alarm went off on my phone. “Shit, I gotta go.” I set the paper and pen on his desk.

“Where are you off to?” Charlie asked.

“I’m going to Dax’s office to sign that prenup.” I rose and wheeled my chair out of the cubicle.

“So, we’re coming over later tonight?”

“Yep. And don’t stick your tongue down my sister’s throat.”

He grinned. “I’ll try.”

I grabbed my bag and left the office. Dax’s building wasn’t too far from mine, so I could get there quickly at a brisk walk. I rose to the top floor in the elevator, and the receptionist led me to a conference room instead of his office.

When I walked inside, I stilled at the sight in front of me.

There were at least ten guys sitting there in suits. “Oh, sorry. I must be in the wrong room.”

Dax stood from the table. “Sweetheart, you’re in the right place.”

I turned back around and took in the scene before me, all the suits with their paperwork in front of them. They all stared at me. No one greeted me. They sat at a long conference table, and on the opposite side was a single chair—for me.

I moved to the table and set my satchel down before I took a seat.

Dax sat back down.

I wasn’t intimidated by anyone or anything, but I hadn’t expected to step into such a hostile room, full of men I didn’t even know. I thought it would be just Dax and me and a notary. But this felt like a big business deal was about to go down.

The suit next to Dax spoke. “I’m Lincoln, Mr. Frawley’s lawyer. We just have some paperwork to sign. We’ll get started.”

One of the lawyers rose to his feet and brought me a stack of papers along with a pen.

I stilled then looked at all the papers that were obviously there for me to sign. “I have to sign all of these?” I’d assumed it would be just two pages, something I could easily look through, but there had to be thousands of pages here.

“Yes,” Lincoln answered. “Mr. Frawley has a lot of assets.”

I clicked the pen and pulled the paper close to me. It was a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo, and I flipped through the pages, seeing endless words that never stopped. I looked through legal briefings all the time, and this was still overwhelming.

There wasn’t time to read anything, and I wasn’t carrying this shit home.

I felt bulldozed.

Did I need a lawyer for this?

It was the first time I felt uncomfortable…truly uncomfortable.

I just flipped to the markers on the papers and added my signature where it was required. I didn’t read a single sentence. I just finished the pile and moved it to the side and then received the next one. Like an assembly line, I made my way through one stack and received the next, and then the next…

By the end, I wanted to cry.

I felt like one of those innocent people corporations targeted, signing their life away without really understanding what they were doing. I didn’t feel like a person, but like an enemy. I felt like I’d been cornered, like I was prey and they were predators.

I felt…cheap.

I didn’t lift my chin to look at Dax.

I kept signing my life away, having no idea what exactly I’d signed, and just got through it.

When I stepped into the hallway to leave, Dax came after me. “Sweetheart—”

“I really have to pee. Hold on, I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.” He slid his hands into his pockets and stood there.

I rounded the corner, moved past the bathrooms, and got the hell out of there.

When I left the building and felt the fall air hit my face, I felt a little better, but the pain in the pit of my stomach was still there…and only getting worse. I also didn’t know what to do, because my home was his home—and there was nowhere else for