Caught him staring—he switched to some fake sad face. 

“Heidi, relax. I’ll hire the best lawyer. Once you’re in, I’ll pull a few strings, get you out early.” 

I bit back a laugh. “Save it.” 

He looked all flustered. “Heidi! I know you’re upset, but you can’t just give up. Think about your parents—” 

Blah, blah, fake concern on full blast. 

If I hadn’t lived through it all before, maybe I’d have fallen for it. 

Last time, the second I refused to plead guilty, he flipped. Faked evidence. Had inmates use cold, sharp tools to rip away any chance I had at being a mom. 

I hated him. He was the one who got Nancy to steal Johnston Group’s secrets—just so he could cash in. 

And somehow I was the one who got wrecked? 

“Heidi?” His voice cut through. “You look pale.” 

I clenched my fists, nails biting into my palms. 

“I’m fine,” I said with a shaky smile. “Just nervous about jail.” 

Simon reached for my hand—nope, I pulled back. 

He blinked, caught off guard, but he was too busy gloating over that signature to care. 

He slid the paper into his briefcase like it was gold. 

“I’ll show this to the judge in three days,” he said. “Till then, it’s our little secret.”