The Billionaire's Forsaken Bride

y's

u regr

of tea caused Luc

cross the dimly lighted dining ro

nstricted. "R

s on his whiskey glas

her hear

of inquiry

tention for h

l justification to treat he

r chest, she contrived a t

n hers, Bill sipped his dr

't, of

gripped the fragile porc

home where love had never existed,

ad passed sinc

I was just *Mrs.

e. A shadow in his life.

ver touche

a glance other

hing unless abs

say goodbye when he went fo

ought to

was not someth

dn't e

in a life she never requested beca

ront of her on the desk and swallowed

idn't

the air, she got up fr

ke the calmness as she

's pre

d* the

beating in her ears, her breat

sponse with a somewhat ruthless

in her stomach. "A

e for

h

ie about someth

's mouth. "*Maria wouldn't lie?* Ar

ightened. "I'm

ng wi

e a business

asn't *bein

rated her hands. "So wha

unchanged. "It does

o have bee

r, it

hat Luc

ed to her, regardless of what he cla

hat Maria could

ucy swallowed th

ntinued walking until she rea

erself *breathe*

that she began

DLY BE

wen

ek

me at hom

were elsewhere

oned all

of the night

and she would watch him get up and lea

uired about h

not requ

aware

thing changed

brary door, she was cuddled up with a

you rec

book down

stood ope

ed them throu

i

ia,

idor, standing u

and. That *smug, knowing

her stom

d, "You don't have to do this." "We can correc

hrobbed with

emaine

shoo h

utter

s she came closer. "You still care

*snapped*

he door open

erberated wi

d as he turned *in

idn't even

took a step back as i

in Lucy

and remarked coolly

y dear. I didn't intend to inte

s penetrated her

d more broad

ed closer. "Or you'll see exactl

in Maria's face f

ppearance of

Lucy, oh. You're *adorable*. She put a final palm to

turned

, who was standing motion

ng he would

thi

ejec

efen

wasn't* the person Maria

r, he

her with the same

in the *coldest* voic

out of things you

gas

l turned

irst time since bec

ware that sh

g in Lucy's mind as she remai

out of things you

her fingers

es he d

as if *she* had broken

iewed as merely a shadow in his existence. And now this was his

n't deny. No

issal witho

hest

o

avoid becom

uldn't com

m

pivoted on her heel

dy halfway up the stairs, and grabbe

d to her slowly, his face e

do this. You are the one who is sneaking around with Maria,

ned. "I wasn't m

y. "Really? It *looke

he freed his wrist. "T

s racing. "N

of hi

face within inches of hers. "

thed in

ally looking at her-for

aught a glance of something bene

ould understand

he said, "I wa

t the truth? His voice lowered to a perilous whisper as he drew closer. "My initia

ression that she

re body

was

had she

however, f

side her was

es dulled, and Bill must have seen it, becau

retract

erself in the corridor as

emaine

't f

t bre

real

reques

ad to dea

KONING

the mansion

ing as she laid in bed a

expectin

till love

y,

merely

*snapped*

o

allowing them

want her. *Let Maria try

ot die quie

lve blazed i

d enough suffe

gain her pow

her eyes when she was s

her bedroom

shadow in

artbeat q

is pr

ie

h

, slow an

ught to have

tood up on

e *wasn'

e she cou

hts cau