Page 75 of Faking with Three

“Yes,” my lawyer confirms. “It’s standard protocol to notify all parties when this kind of inquiry is made. Just be prepared. She might reach out, or she might take other actions.”

“Great,” I mutter, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Thanks for the heads-up.”

“I’ll keep you updated,” he says before hanging up.

I take a deep breath, trying to process. Before I can say anything, there’s a loud, rapid knock at the door.

We all freeze.

“That’s not her,” Marcus says, narrowing his eyes at the door.

“Yeah, there’s no way she’s stupid enough to come here,” Ethan adds, though he doesn’t sound entirely convinced.

Jax stands, carefully setting Clawdia on the couch. “Only one way to find out.”

Marcus opens the door, and before any of us can react, Charlie Green storms inside like a hurricane with a vendetta. Her face is twisted with rage, her sharp features contorted even more as she zeroes in on Jax.

“You!” she spits, pointing a manicured finger at him. “How dare you do this?”

Jax blinks, momentarily stunned. “Do what?”

She doesn’t even give him the chance to finish. “Don’t play dumb with me, Jax. You think you can just waltz back into my family’s life and?—”

“Hold on,” I interrupt, stepping forward. “This wasn’t Jax. I was the one who made the inquiry.”

Charlie swivels her furious glare to me, her eyes narrowing as she takes in the room. For a brief moment, her gaze flickers between Marcus, Ethan, Jax, and me, her lips pressing into a tight line as if she’s putting together pieces of a puzzle she doesn’t quite like.

“You,” she hisses, pointing at me now. “You’re worse.”

“Well, you started it,” Ethan shoots back, crossing his arms. “Dragging our channel through the mud, spreading lies, trying to ruin everything we’ve built.”

“Everythingyou’ve built?” Charlie laughs, the sound harsh and grating. “Your pathetic little channel is nothing compared to the damage you’ve done to my family.”

“Oh, please,” Ethan says, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Let’s not pretend you’re some innocent victim in all this.”

Charlie’s face flushes a deep red, and for a moment, I think she’s going to lunge at him. “I’ll do worse,” she snarls. “You have no idea what I’m capable of.”

“Really?” Marcus finally speaks, his tone calm but edged with steel. “Because from where I’m standing, it seems like you’ve already thrown everything you’ve got at us.”

Charlie narrows her eyes at him, then shifts her gaze to Jax. Her lips curl in a sneer. “And you,” she says, jabbing a finger at him again. “Don’t think for a second that this is over. You think you can just abandon your responsibilities and walk away scot-free?”

Jax’s jaw tightens, but he doesn’t reply. I glance at him, then back at Charlie. “We’re not trying to hurt anyone,” I say, my voice as steady as I can manage. “But you made this personal when you went after us.”

“This is personal,” she snaps, stepping closer to me. Her voice lowers, venom dripping from every word. “And if you think for a second that I’ll let you get away with this?—”

“You’re the one barging intoourspace, screaming threats,” Ethan cuts in, his voice rising. “You want to play the victim, but you’re the one who started this war.”

Charlie narrows her eyes at him, then at Marcus, and finally at me. There’s something calculating in her expression now, like she’s trying to piece together what’s really going on in this room. Her gaze lingers on me for a beat too long, then darts back to Jax.

“You’re all disgusting,” she spits. “I hope you know that.”

“Yeah, we’re devastated by your opinion,” Jax says dryly, but there’s tension in his voice, and I can see the way his hands clench at his sides.

“You walked away once!” she spits, her face red with fury as she glares at Jax. “What makes you think you have any right to be in our lives now?”

I blink, my heart skipping a beat. Did she just?—?

Jax freezes, his usually confident posture wilting under the weight of her words. “I didn’t—” he starts, but his voice falters.

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