His Gilded Lie, Her Golden Revenge

called my old coll

hts lawyer now, tou

e that 'protocol' we talk

y. "Are you sure, M

Just... start it. New

ia. I'll handle the

in me. Amelia Hayes w

ned "overnight trip to a preservation conferen

n the porch, his fa

pulling me into a hug

phone was off. I called the conference h

less. Deep concern etche

as a bitter tas

ears ago, when I' d ha

he scene, his face p

over a dozen times, his

ing ever happe

rce protectiveness, had

another scene from

ab of pain, a reminder of

his embrace, my fac

nference was a bit dry. I

. I watched him, looking fo

y explanation, his re

re now. That's a

de, his arm ar

the gesture ma

ed on making

un-drenched kitchen, a

uice, scrambling eggs ju

th – charming, attentive, making me

led the air, a scent that once me

watching him, a hol

this, at playing t

in front of me, his pho

t it, his br

t," he

her name flash on the screen bef

concerned husband vanished, rep

oe needs me to look at some revised

s avoid

r far below the su

Alway

ce for a bit," he said, al

can spend the rest of

k, perfunctory ki

excuse. A fa

mile on my face. "Of cours

s tasted

ilence in the kitc

condary characte

ar pulled away,

d followed him, keep

mmered agai

my intuition finally screamin

e towards his d

owards the

od ran

and watched as he hurried i

ter, he emerged,

ily on him, a small

d pale an

er her, his face a ma

young police offic

have been seriously hurt! You

filled with a disp

For her m

ss, clutched Ethan' s

my fault. I was clumsy. I s

him, her eyes w

display of v

de me

explain something about a minor traffic in

, his arm tighten

est. I'm tak

the officer, then gently g

home" or "our home

onged there.

s bond with her, ri

ce, erased in that sing

ofound, a final

ssenger seat with exaggera

on the sidewalk, inv