The next morning, Diana tagged along as Amelia headed to a local film set. They were there to hire extras—about twenty of them, all with some martial arts chops.
Anywhere else, finding people like that would be a headache. But on a film set? They had more volunteers than they knew what to do with.
Amelia took her time picking the right ones, then made sure each got fitted for a suit that practically screamed old money.
“Listen up,” she told them. “Tonight, you’re all playing wealthy VIPs. Go to the restaurant I tell you, have dinner, and don’t worry about the bill—I’ll take care of it. Just stick to the plan.”
Getting to dress up fancy, dine at a high-end place, no bill, and a paycheck on top of it all? The extras were all in, grinning like kids on Christmas morning.
Diana, though, was still confused. “Amelia, how do you even know which restaurant Bailey’s going to take you to tonight?”
Amelia just waved a finger in front of Diana’s face, a little smile on her lips. “Bailey won’t show. He’ll send Alexandra. Trust me.”
She knew Bailey too well by now. He was all about keeping his reputation spotless, always ready to bail if things got messy. Getting his hands dirty? Never. That’s what wives are for.
Alexandra—Mrs. Salmeron—had spent years using her family’s connections to help Bailey, always working behind the scenes to ruin any competition he faced.
And about the restaurant…
“If you’re up to no good, you always pick your own turf. That’s just playing it safe.”
The Salmerons actually owned three fancy restaurants in Alson Creek. All Amelia had to do was pick the one that was the most tucked away, the hardest to slip out of, the most private.
Diana shivered just thinking about it.
“The Salmerons are all heartless. You gave them everything, and now that you want out, they’re set on tearing you apart,” she said, voice sharp with anger. Then, softer, “Maybe you shouldn’t go tonight, Amelia. Seriously.”
Amelia just looked out at the mountains in the distance, clouds rolling by, her voice steady. “I could run tonight, sure. But what about next time? They won’t stop. So I’ll make them remember—Amelia can be the ladder they climb, but I can also be the nightmare they can’t escape.”
—
On the way back to the office, Amelia scrolled through her phone, half-distracted, until she spotted a headline about Clive.
He’d already left Alson Creek that morning, off to some event in New York, not coming back until the day after tomorrow.
Of course it had to be now.


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