THE TRUTH IN OUR EYES

n't wait for

nted her soaked to the bone in shame. Elara stood at the edge of the estate gates, hood

n. God knew this was the

catching up faster than your breath, you run back

s of the Valerius estate. The same gates she ran f

with a fake résumé, and a lie so fragile i

as she pressed th

ce was clipped

voice steady. "My name is Elena Ros

silence so loaded i

and the gates

iveway. The mansion loomed through the downpour, all steel and

Vale

rgiveness because he never thought he'd need it. Elara had loved him once. Or maybe she had

and lifted the brass knoc

tupid. He

turn and run when

here

ma

Colder.

ray as a coming storm. He wore a dark shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbows, the

t her eyes down, praying he wouldn't recogni

ss?" he

d once. "

t pressing into her c

t mind

ped aside.

he scent-his scent. Expensive cologne and memo

ou worked for the D

six and three." She reci

did you

to London.

believe her. Not yet. But h

sed to look at her like that-before e

past portraits and marble, into a

nsible for one

omach

s

had a

asked, barely able

ou

o

t dropped

at didn't

ess

uldn't be

hard. "I'd lov

studied her like he was peel

my house," he said. "My s

derst

find out you've lied, abo

d against her ri

econd longer,

ousekeeper show

ed down the hall before releasing the br

r y

would ever find them. But now, standing in this hous

man's son was

t be he

man ever

d to her mouth to

d open, and a small voi

a fr

was soft

nfully

d toward the sound. A boy padded into vi

s nearly

exactly

d alone, in silence, far away from th

r

ba

fe, planning to bring him back once things settled. But when her cousin suddenly sent him back

name, pretending to be someone else.

then tilted his head.

d, choking

. I'm here to ta

Roman's voi

o. B

oked up. "

li

upstairs, dragging a s

l, hands clenche

he hallway again, hi

he said coldly. "Don't m

d and wa

d frozen

? Oh, she knew

dn't know th

he'd just hired the