The billionaire's undying love for me.

ed outside our little yellow house, a

ered from the window, pressing

ho knew these things. "A v

looking at me with the kind of calm that was louder

e with small white buttons that I had ironed twice.

a Su

ther i

to cover. Then she stepped forward and fixed a stray curl behind my ear. You

erst

nt to meet

um

sends a car should be abl

small bow and a bouquet of white lilies. Mrs. Monroe. It is a pleasure. Mr. B

. Then at Marcus's kind

slowly. He has

behind her back. I wante

It looked like a castle that had gotten tired o

ened, and the house rose out of the dusk: pale stone, tall windows glowing gold, a fountain

I bre

e intimidated, miss. Most of the people inside

very co

t

as thin and silver-haired, with a face like a gentle owl and e

bowed, and then, almost too softly to hear, add

th to ask, but the doors

rt with the sleeves rolled to his forearms, no tie, no jacket. It was strange to see him l

ame,"

with flowers

Marcus'

cus called cheerf

Do not accept any drink you did not see poured. Do not go anywher

ed. She told me ab

t still. "Sh

hat

low breath and offered me his arm, stiff as

Through the thin cotton, his arm was warm and hard as stone, an

ice. I pretended not to

g hall with a table that could have

t jawline, though none of Adrian's hidden warmth. Richard Blackwood did no

aid. This

ss Ella Monroe, my

." Richard wave

, glittering with diamonds and boredom, and beside Chloe lounged a young man of about twenty with a lazy smirk and a

e brushed mine under the tablecloth. I did no

Victoria said brightly. "Adrian

n hair strolled in, shrugging out of a leather jacket. He

ll. So this is

mo

with exaggerated charm. "Best friend, troublemaker, a

een me cry," Ad

at a movie

down,

on my other side and gave me a conspiratorial wink. "I have been

I could help it.

angerously. It's li

ould have. I glanced at him. His jaw was tight. His eyes were fixed

said, ve

es

e your

ch h

t is not you

, delightedly, began to grin. "Oh," he whisp

e swallowed b

did, and whether my family "ever worried about the cost of things." Brandon winked whenever I looked up. Richard barely spoke. And every

y hands had s

ichard said at last, setting down hi

side me, Adrian's hand t

nurse at a clinic. I have a younger sister and

d on the stem of his gl

ne he might have used to read a weather repor

darling," Vi

breath I hadn't known I was holding. Only Harold, refilling my water glass, let a few drops spi

speak for the

in whispered in the dark, and the air smelled of cut grass and rain.

Adrian said stiffly. "I

was n

xed. "Leo i

Your stepmother is so

g someone tired and uncertain beneath it. "Ella. Whatever anyone in that house tells you ton

ha

Before you believe

wer what? What

hing." He looked aw

in his voice that I couldn'

carefully, tucked a stray curl behind my ear, exactly as Mum had done that a

night,

ight, A

aid his name without "Mr." in fron

rom the house, and I watched Adrian grow smaller in the rear window, a dark fi

one b

s an unknown number,

nt. He chose you long before that day in the p