Chapter 24

The pain in Heidi's stomach peaked in that moment, draining the color from her face. She lowered her gaze to the bracelet on her wrist. So this was what Maverick had meant when he said it suited her. Sharp-eyed and speaking before thinking, Jackie pointed at Heidi's wrist. "Hey, Heidi—look, isn't that the same one Arabella posted?" he blurted out. The table went quiet for a beat. Then every pair of eyes turned to her. "Holy shit. It really is." "Captain Cadwell's loaded! How much did those cost?" A clueless man slapped his thigh, grinning like he had cracked the case. "Then Arabella's must be from Captain Cadwell too, right? Man, he's something else. He buys one for his wife… and of course he made sure Arabella got one too." "Exactly!" someone chimed in. "Arabella's not in great health—he's probably just trying to cheer her up. You're lucky, Heidi. If he treats his sister that well, imagine how he treats you." Heidi felt a bitter, metallic taste rise in her throat. She was t