*Shelby*Eventually, Michael convinced me to sit down and talk about everything. However, I was so angry I didn't want to sit at dinner with him; I didn't want people or the media to watch us fight in public. Michael promised he had someplace more private we could talk. He led me back down to his car, and we pulled away from his office building.The ride could not have been more awkward. We both sat in the backseat, not speaking, the middle seat creating a gap between us that felt nearly a mile wide. We pulled up to a townhouse that had obviously been recently renovated. The old red brick was softly whitewashed and accented with black shutters. A wrought iron fence enclosed the front yard with an intricate gate opening to the front pathway.Michael held the door open for me as I walked inside. Plastic tarps were draped over cabinetry to protect them from the painting that was currently underway. New appliances sat waiting to be installed. The townhouse obviously be

*Shelby*“Yes,” I said urgently.Michael slipped the gorgeous diamond ring onto my left hand. I couldn't help but admire how it looked on my finger. Michael pulled me in for a kiss as tears streamed down my cheeks.“I can't believe any of this is real,” I whispered into his lips.“I love you more than you could ever know. And you've made me the happiest man in the world,” Michael said, kissing me again.“I love you too,” I said with a smile.It was hard to believe that the night before, we’d spent yelling at each other, and now we were here. I got up, slipping Michael's shirt over my naked body.“Where are you going?” he said with a laugh.“I thought I’d make us breakfast. If I'm going to be your wife, I figure I better start practicing now,” I said with a teasing grin.I found my way back down the hallway and into the kitchen. Everything was still covered in plastic sheets. I opened the fridge, which unsurprisingly was lacking in much that

*Shelby*Michael and I were seated at a table near a small pond filled with koi fish swimming lazily in circles. The Chinese restaurant smelled amazing, like spices and ginger. My stomach growled in anticipation of our meal.“I’m so excited to try all of the different restaurants in this area. It’s fun to think about how one day we will have our regular places we love to go to, just minutes from the townhouse we share together,” I said with a smile.“I’m excited for us to start that next chapter of our lives,” Michael said with a smile, looking over the menu at me.I studied my own menu, catching a glimpse of my ring. I’d be sad to lock it up in Michael’s bank deposit box, but it would be nice to keep the engagement under wraps until we were ready to share the news. “So, what were you up to today while I was at the office?” Michael asked me.The thought of my conversation with Giani rushed into my memory. I knew I needed to tell him about Blaine being in

*Michael*It was strange sleeping in the bed without Shelby waking up next to me, but I did wake up to a text from her. I stretched out across the soft sheets and grabbed my phone to text her back.Shelby: Michael, I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you for this amazing house. I can’t believe how much space there is. Lin’s thrilled too.Michael: I’m so glad to hear that you like it. Did you sleep well last night? I missed waking up next to you.Shelby: I slept okay, but nowhere near as well as I do when I sleep next to you.Michael: You probably sleep better next to me because you're so exhausted from our before-bed activities.Shelby: That makes sense. Sounds like we’ve found our new nightly routine.I smiled at her response before heading downstairs to make myself a cup of coffee. I‘d decided to return to the townhouse rather than my apartment the night before. There was a warmth to the place that my penthouse lacked. The plastic shee

*Michael*I waited for twenty minutes outside a seedy bodega; the sidewalk in front of the store was glowing from the neon signs in the window. The entire place smelled of stale beer and urine. Just when I had enough and was contemplating walking away, a man in a black tracksuit bumped into me, slipping a large padded envelope under my arm.“Watch where you’re going next time,” he called as he walked away from me.I tucked the package further under my arm and walked away from the fluorescent lighting. As I rounded the corner, I pulled out the envelope and ripped it open. I kept walking, seemingly aimlessly as I pulled the contents out. A pile of papers was crammed inside, and on top was a bright yellow note.*So far I’ve been able to trace 100 million to an offshore account. The account is registered to a women’s boutique that doesn’t exist. The funds haven’t moved since the original hack. I’ve included all of the evidence I found. P.S. Don’t forget to pay the man.*