na's
foyer light flood
below me-the three of them, a perfect picture of a happy fami
antly. "Serena? What are you doing standing th
y. In my own home, on the night he forgot o
so sorry, we're back so late. Are you angry? I didn't know today was..." S
s no guilt in her eyes, only a flicker of annoyanc
y Xavier instinctively shielded Savannah
he corners of my mouth into a smile that felt more lik
, Serena!" Xavier's voice, sha
r. The click of the bolt was the most
wood, Mia's voic
. I don't want her! I wa
untie was
ey found my heart, twisted, and then
down until I was sitting on the cold floo
st five years played out in my mi
o give up my career for our family. The endle
apped into the phone, "Serena, be reasonable. Savannah needs me r
ate the entire house. Xavier returned from a European vacation with S
e just cares deeply for his family. I had conv
er part of his "family." I was just a co
nd walked back to the desk. The study hadn't changed
l to
ed glow, I pulled a single, clean sheet of A4 p
he page, I wrote three words, my hand
E AGRE
, irrevocable line under the f
ved on its own-down to the bottom drawer of th
k blue velvet, lay a s
n family would ever expect to find
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