His Secret, Her Salvation

of Brendan's table started eating, digging into the lavish spread of food

he called out, holding up the lobster. "You've prob

probably doesn't even know what it is. He

were performing for each othe

lth, was the same. He'd often sneak out of fancy galas like this to go to a local diner. These people judged everything by price tags. The idea that som

the crowd. He was a sharp man in his fifties who ran this place with milita

atching. They probably expected Mr.

front of me and gave a

low and deferential. "I trust everythin

e. "Everything is fine,

special bottle of whiskey you enjoy stored in my office s

w thick with silence. Brendan's

single malt, a gift from a business partner. It was worth more than Brendan's

ted directly to me on all matters concerning the hot

w that. Their minds scrambled to find a

dly to Chloe. "He must have paid that manager

He's spending his last few dollars trying

ple way to prove them wrong. I could see the fantasy playing out in my head

Too petty. It would b

voice firm. "Thank you for the offer,

aid with another nod,

shot, the ridicule started a

He knew the manager would call his blu

robably hoping we'd be so impressed

wever, kept watching me. She leaned over to her b

she said to him. "It's all about appearances

fake it. Others just have it." He was talking ab

yes. My g

who loved my cooking, who laughed at my bad jokes, who held my hand when we watched movies on my old, comfortable couch. She

s. They were chasing status and shiny objects. Olivia and I had something real. And she was going to be here

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