My husband stood in our marble kitchen laughing while his mistress called me a washed-up old maid, completely certain I had no money, no family, and nowhere left to run.

Amelia Carter lived in a white terraced house in Notting Hill.

I stood across the street for an hour, watching.

She came out at nine to walk her golden retriever. She looked good. Happy. Her hair was longer than I remembered. She was wearing a simple blue dress and no makeup. She laughed when the dog pulled her toward a tree.

She looked like she’d forgotten.

Like she’d moved on.

And I was about to remind her of the worst night of her life.

Mr. Hale touched my arm.

“Are you sure about this, Ms. Langford? We could still pay her. Quietly. No drama.”

I shook my head.

“No. She deserves better than that. She deserves the truth. And she deserves to choose.”

I walked across the street.

Amelia looked up when I approached.

Her smile faded.

Recognition dawned.

Then fear.

“Elara?” she whispered.

“Hello, Amelia. Can we talk?”

She looked around nervously.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. My husband is inside—”

“Please. Five minutes. That’s all I ask. I wouldn’t have flown all the way to London if it wasn’t important.”

She hesitated.

Then she handed the dog’s leash to the nanny who’d followed her out.

“Five minutes,” she said.

We walked to a small café around the corner.

We sat at a table in the back, away from the windows.

Amelia’s hands shook as she stirred her tea.

“How did you find me?” she said.

“My father has… resources.”

She flinched at the mention of him.

“Is he here?”

“No. He’s in Virginia. I came alone. Well… almost alone.” I nodded toward the window where Mr. Hale stood, pretending to read a newspaper. “Security. Derek Callahan is looking for you too.”

Amelia went pale.

“Derek? Why?”

“Because he knows, Amelia. He knows what happened that night. He knows about Lily. And he’s going to try to force you to testify. He’s going to make you stand up in a courtroom and tell the whole world what my father did to you. He’s going to use you to destroy my family.”

I reached across the table and covered her hand.

“I’m not here to threaten you. I’m not here to pay you. I’m here to apologize. On behalf of my father. On behalf of myself. For everything he did to you. For everything I didn’t know. I am so, so sorry, Amelia.”

Tears filled her eyes.

“I’ve spent seven years trying to forget,” she whispered. “Seven years pretending it never happened. I have a husband, Elara. Two little boys. They don’t know. If this comes out… my whole life falls apart.”

“I know. And I would never ask you to do anything that would hurt you or your family. But I need you to understand what’s at stake here. Derek is not a good man. He kidnapped my daughter. He beat me. He’s stolen millions of dollars. If he wins… he gets everything. And he will destroy Lily. He will tell her the truth in the cruelest way possible. He will make her hate herself for something that was never her fault.”

I paused.

“I’m not asking you to lie for us. I’m not asking you to cover it up. I’m just asking you… not to help him. Whatever you decide to do, don’t do it for Derek. Don’t let him use you the way my father used you.”

Amelia pulled her hand away.

She stood up.

“I need to think about this,” she said. “You have no idea what you’re asking. You have no idea what it was like. What he did to me.”

“I can imagine—”

“No.” Her voice cracked. “You can’t. You were the princess. The perfect daughter. I was just the poor girl who got into Langford on a scholarship. Your father looked at me and saw… nothing. Just a body. A thing he could use and throw away. And you… you never even noticed. You were so wrapped up in your perfect wedding to your perfect man that you didn’t see your best friend was dying inside.”

She wiped a tear.

“I will think about what you said. But don’t expect anything from me. I owe your family nothing. Less than nothing.”

She walked out.

I sat alone in the café.

Mr. Hale came in and sat across from me.

“That went well,” he said dryly.

“She didn’t throw her tea in my face. I’m calling it a win.”

I looked out the window.

Amelia was standing on her front steps, talking to a man in a dark suit.

A man I’d never seen before.

But Mr. Hale had.

He was on his feet in an instant.

“Vane’s man,” he said. “They found her faster than we thought. Come on. We have to get to her before they do.”

We ran out of the café.

But we were too late.

The man in the suit had already gotten into a black car with Amelia.

They pulled away from the curb.

Mr. Hale was already on his radio.

“Team Two, follow the black sedan. License plate Tango Alpha Seven Four Nine. Do not engage. Just follow. And call the police. Tell them we have a possible abduction.”

He turned to me.

“They’re taking her to the airport. Vane is going to fly her back to the States tonight. If she gets on that plane… it’s over.”