Beyond His Reach: The Girl He Cast Aside

lex caught me leaving the house. Noah was waiting i

?" Alex asked, his brow f

ive. The old protector, awa

ex," I said, trying to keep my

requires such a formal escort?" He stepped closer, his ey

ing about my... music." It was a flimsy ex

st a few more days. Then freedom.

s car, then back to me, sus

ng to walk towards the car b

His concern, however misplaced or

w I had to say a proper goodbye to Alex, or at least attempt on

erched on the arm of his chair, l

slightly. "Chloe. I just wanted to..

g? For where? Your music program

Noah Evans. We're getting married." T

g. Chloe' s smile vanished, repla

choked out. "To who? T

n arrangement. It help

e floor. "An arrangement? Ava, what the hell are yo

nger, Alex. And

you do something so reckless? After everything my

ure. "I wanted to thank you, for everything. For

hair, his expression a mix

rrying some random guy, and you wish me happiness?" He stepped toward

manicured hand on Alex' s arm. "Alex, darl

ening to her. He was

a, I wish you were just a sister, because the thought of you with anyone else, doing this...

w. There was no kindness left, no brotherly aff

bled. The last vestiges of hope I hadn'

e fight draining out of

out, his harsh words

in a display of petty power, insisted I help her

upstairs closet, would you? And make sure it's folded

inconvenience, a t

indifference. He watched as I went to fulfill her request,

no longer under his protection, I was

holding a small, framed photo of

athy. "Orphaned, taken in by charity. You really should be more gratefu

n music box, a gift from my mother. "This is rather

ped. The music box crashed to the f

d, a smirk playing on he

against the sharp edge of my broken dressin

you doing?

n, Alex

ress, holding up her bleeding arm. "Ava... she just attacked

flew to me. He didn't ask. He

d me, hard, across the face. The sou

angerous. "After everything we've done for you,

crushing weight of his betrayal. This was it. Th