Becoming Mrs. Blackwood

LE

eight

my sister, Sofia

ing in my head. It had been cold and

ithin the next forty-eight hours, he

ched together so tightly they ached. Around me, the world continued as if nothing had changed. N

it fel

the hospital, my eleven-y

Sofia had been born with a congenital heart condition that had slowly gotten worse over the years. Now it had

verything-from loans, to charities, to churc

very single

yself a question I alre

d to find a hundred and eighty thousa

and the lights on. My mother cleaned houses for a living, a maid's job with no

This was i

into a chair after the doctor delivered the news and walked awa

ce breaking. "W-where-am I... Where am

her everything would be oka

ong. She couldn't see my fear. She couldn'

ng down my cheeks as my body shook with quiet sobs. I felt so small, so helples

now. I knew that. So, I prayed. Br

t Sofie die... Please... d

ing to survive it.

re help would come from. I only knew i

Mart

I jerked, my heart leaping into my throat. I look

ccably dressed in a dark Tom Ford trench coat and business s

polished shoes to the calm, assessing look in his eyes. And for

I caught in his eyes. Something that looke

d, my voice soun

us expression. "My name is Julian Blackwood.

d stepped out of Sofia's room only minutes ago. Had

? Is something wrong? My sister

ur sister is fine. She's goi

ain. Too certai

moved a step back.

Blackwood. We ha

e... How do you

lk somewhe

at you want from me. But as you can see, this isn't a good time,

in and frustrations were eating at me so badly th

derst

nded. Rather, something like compassion flickere

her, Lena," he said quiet

he sound of my first name on his

ure not to come too close. "I know where you live, where you work. I know you're the daughter of I

y eyes widening more and mor

you the mone

oint, I didn't know whether to be happy or terrifie

the surgery done immediately. With

to catch up with w

ense. Nothing abou

fused. "What do you

ear Tom Ford suits. There was definitely a catc

ergency entrance where an ambulance w

Not here-someplace quiet. If after five minutes you

ang in the air as he studied m

thinking abou

fi

eight

nd eighty tho

about this? This isn't a game? Yo

ay from New York to play games with you. I mean every word I said. Trus

about him-the certainty, the way he said it-

w I didn't have the luxury of doubt or time. Sofia was counting on me. She wa

took a deep breath, wiped

ered in his eyes before he turned,