om exp
ers surged forward. Someone screamed.
at the podium, staring at me like
dn't b
grounding, possessive. He didn't look at m
ise,"
d so hard I thought
ice was ice. "Wh
ed his head. "I married the wom
aff, the guests, the press. Victoria Hale was frozen beside
ted t
tay
. And if I was going to be a pawn in Adrian Ashford's ga
phone in my face. "Is it true you were in
ice. "Did you marry
- how do you resp
pped in fr
silent. "My wife and I have no further comment
ok my hand. A
't loo
an's eyes on me
-
ride was
ands shaking in my lap. The city lights blurred past the win
ave yo
have
ngry," Ad
n't a
t's
l no
told you there
r than I meant. "You should have told me he'd be there. You sh
kno
saying
ere dark and unreadable. Just like his brother's. But no
el
u," he said quietly. "But if
e it wa
t two years loving a man who never saw you. Tonight, I made him s
." My voice cracked
e th
"It's not. And I'm not
et for a l
u're not
what
dn't
s worse than anythin
-
was dark whe
oor. Locked it. Pressed my back against it an
hen I
at the city lights outside went blurry. Long enou
ye
ears of telling myself it was nothing, that I was no
hen t
t, he
use someone e
a knock at
enn
oice. Soft
aw
ought
't wan
en: "I brou
laughed
opening t
t outside. And I'll be in the s
ps. Ret
d on th
door an hour later, there wa
ll
a
sorr
ed up
ran
ive him. But I di
-
g, I woke to my
ndreds of texts. And a headli
in Brothers at War O
d at th
I scr
ian. Of the ring on my finger. Of my mother
eady dug i
eady found
t of my roo
coffee in hand, reading something on h
've
one's
is phone. "It
They know where my mother is. The
enn
top
owly. The way you'd app
cause I let t
art s
ha
"The rejected girl who married the forgotten twin. It's
ou plann
ont of me. "The terrace. The contract. T
oom t
hy
"And he will. He always does. He'll come for you. H
smi
ll be
red a
using me
p." He tilted his head.
ped back. "T
enn
bout me. This is about him. It's always been about him. Yo
ession f
or a s
it wa
he contract. You took the money. Your mother's bills are pa
a p
ped closer. "And I'm teac
ok my
t want
o l
orbell
oth
And something in his face shifted - surpri
ere," h
who h
fore Adri
en it," I
looke
en he
aiting for t
ed to t
e ope
-
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