Chapter 81

• The late afternoon sun bathed the neighborhood park in golden light as families gathered for a weekend event. Laughter and chatter filled the air as children ran around, their parents chatting in small groups. Rafael stood off to the side, scanning the crowd, his posture tense. He wasn’t here for leisure—this was business, though none of the smiling neighbors would guess it.
• Angelo’s surveillance had provided everything Rafael needed to confirm his suspicions. Text messages between Luke and Claire detailing their plans to undermine his marriage. Photos of clandestine meetings at restaurants and cafés. One image in particular, showing the two of them laughing over coffee, had burned itself into Rafael’s memory.
• His fist clenched at his side as he spotted Luke near the refreshments table, chatting with a couple of neighbors. The sight of him, so at ease, as though he hadn’t been conspiring against Rafael’s family, made Rafael’s blood boil.