A Decade of Devotion, A Lifetime of Deceit

livia's voice was reso

you have to cut Marcus ou

fragile thing, but i

th forward

d, my voice stronge

was terrifying, but

d of the week," Olivia said. "I'l

my eyes, but these were different.

lie. This is a big step

aid. "I'm done b

, a sense of purpos

t of this hospital

, was absent for mo

was. With Liam.

iam's miraculous recovery, a

g. His indifference to my p

charge, a bouquet of expensive,

cern, his eyes

er, Ellie? Yo

I said, my

said, trying to take my

d as an excuse for his abse

rse, h

on my face, but he was to

he just d

he said, a wide, charming smi

to make my heart flutter. No

urpr

brate you feeling

ing disaster sett

pital, not to our apartm

we going?

that charming smile sti

rooftop bar. The kind of place he l

crowd, a hand possessi

I s

A banner that rea

were there

mach c

f the rooftop, the city l

own on o

opened it. A large, ostentatious dia

plified by a microphone someone handed

ere hollow,

p the question, a commotio

i

tching his chest, his eye

voice weak. "I... I don

e he was abou

didn't

ng box. It clatte

id-proposal, rushi

one call a doctor!" he sh

king between me, frozen on the s

up by Marcus,

's shoulder

hed, "Yo

iation was a fre

It was that he did it so easily, so pub

s around me

out Liam,

. She deser

lt like salt

face a mask of worry

lator, milking the dram

ned. This was it

t another chan