Walter arrives near noon.
I watch his rental car kick up dust along the drive, and something in my chest tightens despite the warmth still lingering from last night. Jake's arms around me. His heartbeat beneath my cheek. The certainty that we were finally finding our way back to each other.
That warmth feels distant now as I recognize the figure stepping out of the vehicle.
Walter Snyder has changed. The lanky boy I remember from society dinners has been replaced by someone polished and sharp-edged in a way that feels calculated. Every line of his suit screams intentional. Every movement carries precision that borders on performance.
Zachary stands beside me on the porch, his posture shifting into something alert.
"Adison." Walter's smile spreads as he climbs the steps, arms opening for a greeting I didn't invite. "It's been too long."
He kisses my cheek before I can react. The gesture feels like a claim rather than a courtesy.
"Walter." I step back, putting distance between us. "Your mother said you'd be arriving today."
"And here I am." His eyes travel over my face with clinical attention, cataloging details I'd rather he missed. "Though I must say—life hasn't been kind to you. You look awful."
The observation lands with surgical precision. Beside me, Zachary's expression hardens into something I've never seen from him before—displeasure he doesn't bother to mask.
"I had an accident." I keep my voice steady despite the heat rising in my cheeks. "My horse threw me a few days ago. The bruises are still healing."
"Just that?" Walter tilts his head, his smile never wavering.
The question hangs strangely in the air. I don't catch the implication immediately, but something cold moves through my chest. Violet's warnings crystallize into sudden, sharp understanding.
He sees more than the bruises. He's fishing for confirmation.
"Can I offer you some coffee?" I redirect smoothly, refusing to give him what he wants. "Then I'll take you to your sister."
Walter's expression shifts—amusement bleeding through the polished facade. "I won't drink coffee in a place like this. Who knows what passes for water out here."
The dismissal lands like a slap.
"You're a rude asshole." The words escape before I can filter them. "But I suppose that hasn't changed since the last time we spoke."
Zachary whistles low and appreciative beside me.
Walter's smile sharpens into something genuine for the first time. "There she is. Now I recognize the Adison I remember."
We walk toward the stables in uncomfortable silence. The midday sun beats down, and I feel Walter's attention cataloging everything—the workers, the buildings, the dust that coats everything with honest Texas grit.
Violet sits confidently in the saddle when we arrive, her posture straight and certain. Paige rides beside her on another horse, both of them circling the corral while Tommy calls instructions from the fence.
"Looking good, Violet." Tommy grins up at her. "Your seat's improved a lot since yesterday."
Walter stops short, his expression arranging itself into something that mimics paternal pride. "Well, well. I'm impressed." His voice carries across the space, commanding attention. "Violet is finally succeeding at something."
Violet's hands tighten on the reins. I watch her face carefully.
Walter pulls out his phone, snapping photos with deliberate enthusiasm. "Mother will be thrilled. Our little disaster actually learning a useful skill."
"Walter—" I start.
"Though I have to wonder." He continues as if I hadn't spoken, his voice smooth and cutting. "Why did you complain so bitterly in your messages when you clearly fit the local aesthetic perfectly? The dust suits you, Violet. The manual labor. All of it."
The knife twists with practiced efficiency. I watch Violet swallow her fury—remarkable restraint from someone who never holds back.
But she knows what I'm only beginning to understand: Walter would retaliate. Whatever she dishes out, he'll return threefold.
The silence stretches uncomfortably. Even Tommy has stopped grinning.
"Pack your things, ladies." Walter addresses his sister without warmth. "We leave in two hours."
"I'm staying longer." Paige's voice cuts through the tension, steady and certain. "I've arranged it with Jake."
Walter doesn't even glance at her. His attention remains fixed on Violet, dismissing Paige's existence entirely.
Violet dismounts with stiff movements, handing her reins to Tommy without meeting his eyes. She walks toward the house like someone heading to execution.
I move to follow—wanting to shield my new ally, wanting to prove our alliance means something.
"Adison." Walter's voice stops me cold. "I have business with you. Could we speak privately?"
Violet's eyes find mine from across the distance. The warning in them is clear: be careful.
I nod once at her, then turn back to Walter. "Of course."
We walk toward the water, away from the stables, away from witnesses. The river glitters in the afternoon light, peaceful and oblivious to the danger circling closer with every step.
"So." Walter stops at the bank, his hands sliding into his pockets with studied casualness. "How is your pregnancy progressing?"
My blood freezes.
"Excuse me?" The words come out strangled, wrong.
"The pregnancy." He says it like we're discussing weather. "Mother suspected it after your dinner together. Something about the way you refused wine. The pallor. The exhaustion you couldn't quite hide." His smile curves with satisfaction. "Your silence right now confirms everything, of course."
I can't breathe. Can't think. Can't do anything except stand here while he dismantles every wall I've built.
"Is Jake happy about the baby?" Walter continues smoothly. "I imagine the tabloids will be fascinated. The new Ward Enterprises CEO, pregnant by her father's oldest friend. Will journalists be happy about that story?"
"What do you want?" The question tears out of me, desperate and furious.
Walter's answer drops like a blade.
"What's rightfully mine." His voice loses all pretense of friendliness. "Richard's company."
I stare at him, certain I've misheard. "Say that again."
His smile turns cold. Something ancient and bitter moves behind his eyes.
"You clearly have no idea what's been happening between our families all this time." He says it almost gently, like he's explaining something to a child. "That's fine, Adison. You'll find out soon enough."
The river keeps flowing. The sun keeps shining. And everything I thought I understood about my father's empire begins crumbling at my feet.