Zoe knew what Mason wanted to talk about in this phone call! She didn’t want to let Mia know about it, so she excused herself before she answered it outside.

Even the tightly closed window couldn’t hold off the bitter coldness of the night. The chilling wind seeped in through the crack of the window at the end of the hallway and hit her squarely in the face.

With that said, it was nothing compared to her conversation with Mason.

Over the phone, his voice was soft yet heavy with intention. “You should know what the Schmidts’ next move is! I’m the only one who can help you now, Zoe! Ella has to become one of the Lockwoods if you want Langston to back off!”

Numb, Zoe asked, “Can you please help me?”

After a brief moment of silence, his voice sounded significantly deeper than earlier when he said, “I told you. I’m not a charitable man! I think you know that I won’t intervene in Leslie and Ella’s matters if you’re not in the picture.”

Of course, she knew that.

She had been married