Chapter 46

Ramon POV

“What if I paid Samuel?” I asked, the offer emerging before I’d fully thought it through. “What if I transferred fifteen million dollars to his account right now, tonight, and ended this? Would you accept that help?”

Lake’s face went through several expressions before settling on something close to horror. “No,” he said immediately. “Absolutely not. I won’t let you do that.”

“Why not? I have the money. It would barely make a dent in my net worth. And it would end this nightmare tonight, let you and Ollie actually be safe instead of constantly looking over your shoulders.”

“Because then I’d owe you,” Lake said, his voice tight with emotion I couldn’t quite identify. “Don’t you understand? If you pay Samuel, if you solve this problem with your money and your power, then I’ll be completely dependent on you. And when you eventually get tired of this arrangement, when you decide that a fake husband and someone else’s kid aren’t worth the trouble a