Chapter 42 Lines Crossed

• "You've been coming home late, Jasmine," Ethan said, the tightness in his voice a stretched wire pulled to breaking point. I'd just stepped inside the door and had barely managed to kick off my heels when his accusation hit. I turned to him where he leaned against the doorway of our apartment, his arms crossed over his chest, an unwrapped package in his hands. In an instant, I knew what it was: a surprise gift from my wealthy client, still wrapped in the elegant, dark paper and gold ribbon that made it a statement of both luxury and secrecy.
• "Nice to see you too," I said, shrugging off my coat and slinging it over the back of the nearest chair. His eyes never once left mine, and I could feel the suspicion simmering beneath his calm exterior. "What's this?" I asked, nodding toward the gift. I already knew the answer, but I wanted to see how Ethan would spin it.
• "You tell me," Ethan shot back, flipping the package onto the dining table as if it meant nothing to him at all. The sound it produced-a dull thud-held a little extra weight than it should have in the silence of the apartment, somewhat like the ringing of a warning bell. "It came for you today. No sender, just your name on it."