Chapter 66

This was Ethan Blackwood trying to corner her—using Linda Walton as leverage to force her out of hiding. He’d searched all over River City and still drawn a blank. Now he was down to his last, dirtiest tricks. Given the history between Linda and the Barringtons, the city's gossip mill wasn't short on ammo. Everyone was just waiting for some juicy scandal to blow up, throwing in a few cold-blooded takes while they were at it. Online hate needs zero justification. If it had been in the past, Clara Walton would’ve probably lost it by now. But not this time. She was placing a bet—the child growing inside her meant something to Ethan. That’s why, no matter what he did, Clara could sit calmly in her apartment without stepping outside. Because Ethan knew perfectly well—if anything happened to Linda, Clara could take it out on the baby. They were in this together now, bound by mutual interests. They’d hold their fire—at least for now, it wasn’t the moment for him to come for her. That thought