“I wasn’t going to.”
He nodded, satisfied, then pushed a yellow legal pad toward me. “Write down the times. Every call. Every message. Screenshot everything.”
My father had always believed panic made people careless. Daniel had always believed charm could erase paperwork. That night, those two beliefs ran straight into each other.
The first voicemail came from Daniel, low and furious.
“Emily, stop playing games. You know that card is connected to the company account. You embarrassed me in front of clients. Call me back now.”
Clients.
I almost admired the lie. Vanessa’s laughter had been all over her social media earlier that night. She had posted a video from the Sapphire Room with the caption: Finally being treated like a queen.
The second voicemail arrived ten minutes later. Daniel’s voice had shifted. Less arrogant. More desperate.
“Em, listen. There’s been some confusion. The club is saying the membership is still under your name, and they need authorization. Just approve the charge. I’ll pay it back after the property settlement clears.”
My father snorted. “He won’t.” Parentalguidance support
