"My Husband Was Pulling On His Pants When I Came Home With Our Baby’s Ultrasound—My Best Friend Was Hiding Behind My Maternity Coats

I stared at Liam, my mind racing through the horrific possibilities.

Claire was supposed to be completely out of my life. After the terrifying standoff in my living room six months ago, she had disappeared.

She suffered a tragic miscarriage shortly after Owen was arrested. She lost her fiancé, her baby, her reputation, and her best friend in a matter of hours.

"Claire," I breathed out, the name tasting like poison on my tongue. "It has to be her. She knows how I program my alarm systems because she helped me set up my first apartment years ago."

Liam immediately pulled up a secure database on his encrypted tablet and began typing furiously.

"Claire Sterling. Let me pull her financial and residential records," he muttered.

A few seconds later, a series of red flags popped up on the bright screen.

"She hasn't had a registered address or a legitimate bank transaction in four months," Liam noted. "But there are massive cash withdrawals from a shell company linked to Damon's old law firm."

Damon wasn't just manipulating her; he was actively funding her descent into madness.

He had turned my former best friend into his personal weapon.

"We need to go visit Damon," I said, a dark, cold fury replacing the fear in my heart. "I need to look him in the eye."

The next morning, Liam escorted me to the maximum-security visitor center. I left Lily safely with a heavily armed guard detail outside.

I sat down behind thick bulletproof glass, gripping the metal telephone receiver tightly.

Damon walked into the room wearing an orange jumpsuit. He looked completely different. He was gaunt, his hair buzzed short, but his eyes burned with a manic, arrogant light.

He picked up the receiver and smiled, a chilling expression that made my blood run cold.

"Did you like my gift, Maya?" Damon whispered into the phone.

"You're a pathetic coward, Damon," I sneered, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing me break. "Using Claire to do your dirty work because you're rotting in a cage."

Damon laughed, a dry, harsh sound that echoed through the glass.

"Claire is broken, Maya. You broke her. I just gave her a purpose," he said smoothly. "But you're entirely missing the big picture."

I narrowed my eyes. "What picture?"

Damon leaned closer to the glass, his breath fogging up the thick pane.

"I'm not going to be in this cage much longer, sweetheart," Damon whispered. "Owen made a deal with the district attorney. He confessed to planting evidence in my car. My conviction is currently being overturned."