ian

me as the seat would allow, pressed against the door like she wanted to melt through it and disappear into t

plain. But what explanatio

irst wife k

ead. Like she'd used up all her emotion in

Y

on that when you were making m

I was marr

d. Her voice cracked on the last word. "An

. Easier than looking at h

ncompli

crying. Silent tears running down her face, and she looked about tw

ke ours. She needed money for her mother's medical bills. I ne

happ

in love

the back of her hand. "And

N

y n

is conversation. "I don't do love. I don't believe in it. My father taught me that

ell in lov

es

st ignored her? Treate

needed. Money. Security. Freedom to do whatever she w

ou

es

a long moment. The

ence. I'd said them so many times. To police. To my father. To myself at three in the mor

Go

live in a marriage where she loved someone who would never love

's aw

es

anything? When

. "What kind of

r did you just tick it off like anot

lt gu

ilt

that I didn't see how bad it had gotten." I turned onto our street. The penthouse tower loomed ahead. "But I didn't

r voice was small. "I just want to und

with someone who can't love you back. Same as S

you cho

I needed a wife.

y me specifically? Out of every desperate person in London, wh

garage. Found my spot. Turned off the

n't k

not an

only answe

I pulled it out

his will be f

na was watching m

Being

oes tha

ere there doesn't need to be any. She's probably thr

hat night. That she saw e

inner. Sophia was upset about something. The

she upse

't rem

you not r

s working." I got out of the car. Slammed the door harder than

. Thirty floors. Each

n the doorway. I'd forgotten she'd never actually been he

ig," sh

es

emp

and steel and expensive furniture that no

want a

rea

e was in a museum. Touching nothing. Looking at everything.

the ba

es

where s

es

nd against the glass

t do

ake up every day and see

ned a co

s. I didn't know about Sophia. I didn't know about the

till s

Tear it up.

can

y n

two months to prove my marriage is real or I l

d someo

my wife. To my father. To James. To Maya. Everyone kn

is f

to loo

situation is insane. You're asking me to live in a dead woman's house, play her role,

about th

hat's i

bout proving to my father that I can do t

out what

ve an answer. Didn't even know what she needed beyon

. I did care. I ju

you nee

d the door. Just stood there, hugging herself, sta

Slid it open. Cold air rushed in. February i

e he

N

. Come

ke she was walking t

prawled below us. Thirty floors of nothing

I said. "Right here. She climbe

ou telling

room. From your bedroom. From the kitchen. It's unavoidabl

ay. Wouldn't come any cl

have a

e has a

with Sophia. When I let my father dictate my life. When I decided business

? Why drag me into

use I need to win. Because

one step. She was shaking. From cold

you,"

k

that I'm

weeks. Drowning in debt she'd never signed up for. "Or could you walk away? Break the c

was

u have nowhere else to go. Maybe it's because being here, even in a dead woman's apartment with a man wh

s not

about thi

ady to grab her if she did anything stupid. But she ju

erself. To the city. To the ghost that lived in