behind her. The click of the
. Her legs gave out, and she slid down the smooth wood of the
at it, at the cruel sum meant to erase her. Then, with a shaky breath, she smoothed it flat and tucked it carefully into the in
around a small, crisp envelope. She pulled out the ultrasoun
ba
wn stupidity, for the love she'd wasted. Tears for this innoce
mphant smirk, burned in her mind. The grief curdle
ipped the ultrasound report to shreds. The pieces fluttered t
er voice raw. "I will protect you. And we will ha
her soul, hard and
ers: clothes Julian had never bought her, books from her college days, a small framed photo of her and her brother, Ae
ck came at
ass of warm milk on a small tray. Her eyes
have this and rest. He's arranged for
, her body ached. She took the glass without a word and dr
limbs felt like lead. She stumbled toward the bed, her mind foggy, and collapsed onto
na's face peering in from the doorway. The housekeeper
etallic click of a key turning
ss too
nsation in her throat. H
sm that sent daggers through her che
es fle
i
up the silk curtains, devouring them with a hungry roar. Blac
wisting the handle. It didn't budge. She threw h
ized her. This wasn't an
icking her out. The
, drowning out the fear. The primal, feroci
here. Her baby w
body. Then she seized a heavy armchair, adrenaline flooding her syst
utward in a shower o
. The fire surged, a beast unleashed. It was
hing her skin. The flames were
a makeshift shield. She climbed onto the wide windowsill, her heart hammering against her ribs. H
ooked down at the har
ng her body instinctiv
ears. Sharp, searing agony shot up her leg. Glass from the shatte
ding screaming. But she was alive. Her purse was s
gnoring the waves of ago
just escaped. It was now a raging inf
en, just beyond the reach of t
ny Ho
hloe could see the cold, s
d hotter than the flames surged thro
ill come back. And
om the burning mansion, away from the life that had been stolen from her.
nto the darkne
tate. The former Mrs. Carlisle, Chloe Turner, was declared dead. Her
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