Charlotte’s ears craned in attempts to hear the adulterous couple, knowing that their conversation could change her fate entirely. She heard Katrina blathering about her feet aching, about the terrible menu, before Evan asked her, in no uncertain terms, what had happened that day.

“Do we have to get down to it immediately?” Katrina whined, before her voice turned sultry. “I wanted to spend a little bit of time with you first. Before we had to do business.”

“Darling, we can spend time together later. At the hotel,” Evan said, easily resuming his role as ‘boyfriend.’ But Charlotte sensed his impatience.

“All right,” Katrina sighed. “I guess you want to know what happened to that goody two-shoes, don’t you? Well, I straightened her out. I knew something was going on between her and Sean. She was acting too insane around him for there not to be. Maybe they knew each other at Yale—could that be possible?”

Evan shrugged. “I think she was a bit too young for our class.”

“Well, I don’t know,” Katrina went on, shrugging. “Are you going to get some fries?”

Evan didn’t answer. Charlotte tried to imagine the scene behind her, Evan’s eyes staring, angry, into Katrina’s vacant ones.

“All right. So yeah. I saw her scribble this note to him yesterday. I couldn’t read what it was—just that she looked completely broken when Sean didn’t react to it. So, I went into her office after she left. I searched her documents, her files—everything—and then I found this mysterious, funny little note.”

“You’re too clever for your own good,” Evan said. He was clearly grinning, leaning toward her. The anticipation of her story was building.

“Well. The note said something strange. ‘Nine months’ notice.’ I couldn’t figure out what that could mean, given that this lawsuit won’t go on that long. Until I remembered that she’s been running to the bathroom an awful lot. And she’s put on a ton of weight.”

Evan leaned back, aghast. “She’s pregnant.”

“That’s right!” Katrina exclaimed.

Charlotte balked. Why was Katrina telling Evan about her pregnancy? Why had she searched her office?

“I knew exactly what to do. I brought the note the Lyle and explained that Charlotte had obviously been sleeping with Sean, that this was the only explanation. And Lyle completely lost it. He loved that little try-hard,” Katrina said, her voice mean. “He loved all of her bright plans. And even though he knew he needed to incorporate some of my ideas into the strategy, he always liked Charlotte more. She was his favorite. Until now.”

Evan laughed. It came from deep within him, causing his body to quake. “Well, well, well. And now, she’s off the case?”

“She’s suspended, meaning I’m taking the lead,” Katrina said, her voice excited. “What do you think about that?”

“I think that makes our plan a lot easier,” Evan said. “And I think it means you get a little something extra tonight.”

“And what about something extra monetarily?” Katrina teased. “You know. For later.”

“You’re such a snake, girl,” Evan said, obviously pleased with her. “I’ve already promised you millions, on top of whatever your daddy throws your way. And now you want even more—just because you got lucky? You didn’t arrange for Sean to knock Charlotte up. You couldn’t have known.”

“Sure. But a good spy knows when to act. And I did,” Katrina retorted.

“Good point, my little lawyer, my princess. And now that I’ll finally beat Sean at his own game, with your help, there will be nothing to stop me. I’ll take billions in shares in Lawson Technologies, and I’ll go down in history as one of the biggest tech innovators ever. How about that?”

“Sounds pretty boring, if you ask me,” Katrina giggled. “Except for the money part, of course.”

Evan laughed. Charlotte longed to turn toward them, to witness this evil exchange with her own eyes. The warmth between them informed her, quite certainly, that they’d been planning this for months. Evan had probably been sleeping with Katrina since before it’d begun. The terrors of the plot were long and varied. Charlotte could hardly wrap her mind around them.

“What do you say you finish that milkshake, darling, and we get out of here? I want to celebrate,” Evan said. “And I think you know what that means.”

Katrina giggled. “But we’re still going to meet up on Sunday, right? At the Excelsior?”

“I’ve already had my secretary write it down, babe. Five o’clock, early drinks. And then we’ll see where the night takes us.”

“You’re so hot,” Katrina whispered. Something squeaked, perhaps the milkshake being shoved to the side, as Katrina began to kiss Evan, right there in the center of the diner. The football boys focused upon them, shouting “PDA!” over and over again.

Charlotte took this as her cue to leave—and quickly. Because the diner had been so busy, she hadn’t had the chance to order a single thing. She slinked from her seat and then out of the restaurant, before leaping into a run. She felt her heart jolting against her rib cage. She couldn’t find oxygen for a moment. “Just breathe,” she whispered to herself, leaning against the car. “For the baby.”

But her mind wouldn’t turn off. She leaped into Chelsea’s car, connecting her phone to the hands-free. She didn’t want to wait for Katrina and Evan to leave the diner and spot her, and she squealed her tires, jumping into intense, Friday night traffic.

She felt tears rolling down her cheeks, but she couldn’t focus on her hurt, on how she’d been wronged. Rather, she knew she needed to warn Sean immediately. His attorney, Katrina, was actively losing his case. And Sean needed to know as soon as possible.

“Call Sean Lawson,” Charlotte spoke into the hands-free, her fingers tense on the steering wheel. She listened as the lonely ringing echoed through the vehicle. She hoped, prayed he would pick up. But she knew it was a long shot.

“Hello?” Sean’s voice miraculously appeared in the air around her.

Charlotte smacked the steering wheel with triumph. She wasn’t sure if it was the success of reaching him, or just hearing his sultry, deep voice that pleased her so, but she forced herself back on track in an instant.

“Sean. So glad you picked up. This is urgent.”

“As urgent as yesterday?” Sean laughed. It was clear he hadn’t yet been told she’d been suspended. “I’m telling you. This can all be resolved in a short meeting.”

“You don’t understand,” Charlotte began. Her voice was aching with urgency. She was speaking too fast, her eyes dancing all over the road. She was passing people, suddenly certain she needed to get to Sean, to explain fully, as soon as she could. ”I’m heading to your office. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

“Can you explain a little?” Sean asked, perplexed. “I’m in the middle of something.”

“Forget it. Please. Just for now. I just saw Evan and Katrina together. They’re working together, Sean,” she cried. She felt passion rip through her, and she felt she might begin screaming the words at him. “They’re sleeping with each other, and they’re trying to take you down. They’re taking us all down.” Tears cascaded down her face.

“What are you talking about, Charlotte?” he asked her, his voice perplexed. “How could this be true?”

“I can’t explain over the phone,” Charlotte stuttered, knowing she sounded irrational. Her foot pressed harder on the pedal, and she revved into the intersection, her eyes staring through her windshield, towards the city. “I’ll be to you in ten minutes. Okay?”

In that moment, a black truck to the left of her ignored its red light and soared into the intersection, cutting into the side of the car. Charlotte began to scream as the car rotated not once, not twice, but three times, before crashing into a telephone pole, nose-first.

Charlotte was vaguely aware of the sound of glass smashing as her face and forehead crashed into the steering wheel, and blood came pouring from her ears. Her brain jostled in her skull, and everything turned to black.

Only ten minutes away, seated in his office, Sean heard the impact of the vehicle. He heard Charlotte scream, and the final smash into the telephone pole.

He stood from his chair, allowing it to spin behind him. He called out to the beautiful blonde, with whom he’d shared one glorious, fateful night:

“Charlotte? Are you there? Charlotte? Are you all right?”

And nobody answered.