“I just need a little more time,” Daniel said. “Everything’s almost ready.”

“You think she’s going to thank you for all this sneaking around?” my mother shot back.

“I’m not sneaking,” he said, sharper now. “I’m trying to do this right.”

“Oh, please,” she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Men always say that right before everything falls apart.”

I closed my eyes for a second.

“Listen to me,” she continued. “You don’t owe her this much. Not after everything. You’ve done enough already.”

Enough? For me?

“She deserves the truth,” my mother added. “And if you don’t tell her, I will. This concerns me too.”

Of course it does.

“Okay…” I whispered. “Okay. That’s enough.”

I smoothed my hands over my dress, an old habit.

Then I stepped forward.

“Well, this sounds like a conversation I should’ve been invited to.”

They both turned. Daniel’s face drained of color. My mother didn’t bother hiding her reaction. Her lips curled, slow and satisfied.

“Well,” she said, leaning back, “look who decided to show up.”

“Yeah. Funny how that happens when people stop whispering.”

Daniel stepped toward me. “Hey… this isn’t what you think.”

“Oh, I’d love to hear what I think,” I cut in. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like my husband is lying about business trips and meeting my mother behind my back.”

“Lower your voice,” my mother said calmly. “No need to make this ugly.”

I laughed once. “Ugly? You ran off with my fiancé, and now you’re worried about ugly?”

“Let’s not dig up old drama,” she waved her hand. “We’re talking about something much more… practical.”

Daniel turned sharply. “Stop.”

“No!” she leaned forward. “Tell her about that little workshop she dreams about. The one she thinks was just… lost?”

I frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Daniel rubbed his face. “I was going to tell you. I just needed more time.”

“For what? To coordinate your lies better?”

My mother chuckled. “Oh, honey, he’s not that clever.”

“Enough!” Daniel looked at me. “That building… the old one near the river. The one your father used to talk about?”

“Yeah… what about it?”

He hesitated a moment too long.

My mother filled the silence. “It’s mine,” she said simply.

“What?” I whispered.

She shrugged. “Years ago, you signed some papers. You were overwhelmed, remember? Baby on your hip, bills everywhere. You didn’t read them.”

“No…” I shook my head. “No, that was—”

“A transfer. Completely legal. Not my fault you didn’t pay attention.”

Daniel stepped closer. “I found out a few months ago. I’ve been trying to get it back.”

I turned slowly. “By meeting my mother in secret?”

“I didn’t want to bring her back into your life. You asked me not to.”

“I said I never wanted to hear about her again,” I finished.

“I know,” he said quietly. “That’s why I handled it myself.”

My mother laughed. “Handled? Please. You’ve been negotiating.” She looked at me. “He wants the building back. For you. Sweet, right?”

Daniel exhaled sharply. “Don’t twist it.”

“I’m not. I just asked for something in return.”

I looked between them. “What kind of something?”

“Money, of course.”

Of course.

“And when he hesitated,” she added, glancing at Daniel, “I told him I’d go straight to you.”

Daniel’s voice dropped. “Don’t.”

“Oh, come on,” she waved him off. “I’d just tell her we’ve been meeting. Quietly. Repeatedly.”

My stomach tightened. “Meeting… how exactly?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t need details. You’d imagine the rest just fine. Some people never outgrow being easy to fool.”

“Stop it,” Daniel snapped. “That’s not what this is.”

“But it would sound like it, wouldn’t it?” she said lightly. “She’d get upset. Maybe furious. Maybe she wouldn’t even wait for your explanation.”

I crossed my arms. “You wanted me to think he was cheating.”

“I wanted a reaction. And even if you learned the truth later… a little damage first might be enough.”

Daniel’s jaw tightened. “I was trying to get the documents without letting her hurt you again. I’ve seen you lose everything once. I wasn’t going to let that happen again.”

Silence stretched.

I turned to Daniel. “And Lila?”

“She saw us. I didn’t want her carrying this… not yet. I gave her the money so she wouldn’t come to you before I could fix it.”

I looked at my mother. “You tricked me into signing something when I was barely holding it together.” Then at Daniel. “And you’ve been bribing my daughter instead of telling me the truth because you thought I couldn’t handle it.”

“I thought I could protect you,” Daniel said.

“Well,” I straightened my shoulders, “you both made decisions for me. That ends today.”

Minutes later, Daniel and I were in his car.

He reached into the back seat and handed me a folder. “Here.”