Falling for the Disgraced Heir

ticked pas

light cutting through the blinds. The apartment was too quiet

he wanted to strangle Brandon for storming

bed, staring at the ceiling until e

=

sound of the door unlo

his lip split, and there was a faint smel

right. "What ha

h that usual half-grin. "Gues

o him, grabbing a clean to

like i

poured out between every touch. "You could've been a

r wrist gent

red, bruised, but pain

back, muttering, "Do

for the first aid kit

e, voice quieter now. "I just..

him sharply. "Wh

my shadow," he said, staring down at the floor. "Now I can't even a

like a confession he'd

spite herself. "Y

n a Hughes, you don't learn how to be anyone else. And now that I've lost t

he rawness of his words claw

Hughes name-that his persistence, his cl

rembling hands returned-the day the foreclosure noti

l be fine, Brandon. People like

d. "Peopl

n when you fall, there's alway

think I'm doing? W

m saying some of us do

silence that followed was

a sensed it the moment she stepped into the of

memo. "Miss Bailey, effective today, you'll be

l Affairs? I don't h

," the supervisor said

down her s

s striking-sleek desks, quieter hallways, colde

department," he

te smile. "Was this

ne was mild, but his gaze sharp. "Y

ated flatly. "Or e

l is just another w

nd, a commotion broke

an

dripping frustration. "Why th

stare. Julia's heart

s a professional space, Bran

don't know what you're doing? Keeping her

do is to clean

your resp

ot yours

ened like a wire. Julia tried

the air. "Everything you touch, Brando

s hit li

ger in his eyes replaced by something

ready are," Jam

her pulse thundering. Every pair

ase," she whi

g, anything-but her face was unreadable

oor closing echoed

s tie. "Now maybe we can focu

gaze lingered on the empty doo

chaos. Logi

ulia wasn't sure whic

edictable path... or risk everything to stan