Madelyn shot back a message almost instantly.

Madelyn: [You can come to me anytime you want more. I'll make it for you.]

Ethan: [Deal.]

Zach watched the exchange with a heavy gaze. For reasons he could not quite understand, seeing Madelyn respond to another man's text elicited an odd discomfort, a feeling that something uniquely his was being claimed by another. He had accessed this information by secretly installing surveillance software on Madelyn's phone during a hospital visit.

For the next half hour, Madelyn chatted with Ethan about the usual humdrum of childhood daily life and interests. It was bland, mundane, and yet Zach consumed it all. He noticed how Madelyn had indeed changed. Once they finished, Zach felt strangely spent. He glanced at the clock—half-past eight. He had wasted more than an hour on Madelyn.

Back at the Jent residence, Hayson was out schmoozing. He would not return tonight, or likely any other night. His bed was elsewhere, amidst a rotation of mistresses.