Just A Substitute: The Don's Lost Love

ie

ty was a masquerad

a gilded cage, suffocating and bright. The scent of expensive cologne, stale sweat,

r, their mournful melody drowning be

e a lifeline. I shouldn't have come. But Marcus had insisted. "Fa

t wearing a mask. He didn't need one. H

the cracks

ver drank in public. Control was his religion, his currency.

, tracking movement

nowhere

he French doors into the sanctuary of the

somew

y, his usual grace replaced by a heavy, predatory instabi

I said, trying to p

rough my dress, searing my skin. He stared down at me, hi

ful," he slurred

wearin

d, glancing around to see if an

mera. He reached up and touched my cheek, his thumb tracing my jawl

ered. "My Chloe.

lood turned t

," I said, my

rehead against mine. "You have her eyes

ha

you. She... the other one... she was just a pla

of strength, every ounce of horr

arble pillar. He looked at me-really look

ll

the ballroom had vanished, su

red. The word felt like a

the scene. I didn't care about the gue

ght air was cool, but I was burning.

ark corner to hide in until my heart stopp

e party noise to a dull thrum. I leaned against the books

heard

y her, Marcus? Wh

Her voice wa

e sounded sober now. Cold. Calcul

e gap in the shelves

er silhouette sharp against the flames. Marcus was leani

n. "Because when you left for Paris five years ago, I needed a way to

sked. She didn't sound horri

. And as she grew up... she started to resemble you. It was..

th to stop the scream that wa

indness. The prot

ection. It wa

rooming

, stepping closer to h

efinitive *clink*. "But a useful one. This engagement... it separates

hloe placed a han

es wi

le that never reached his eyes when he l

him Julian. Thorne-Davenport. He

lie won

e's too soft. Too blind. Even if she knew, she w

. A low, d

she was just keepi

was a quiet, final severance. The tether that had boun

back sliding against t

on't l

ical laugh. Tears streamed

a prop. A mannequin he dressed

ds of their kissing faded,

gs were weak, but my m

desk in the corner. I gra

. I didn't leave a te

phone. I opened

. Florence. To

texte

. The big one.

ked out of the manor. I walked pas

el biting into my bare feet because

replied with a photo of a plane ticket

real thing I ha