's

he word. "I'll be your wife

away. Then he stood up slowly, walked around the desk, and stopped right in front of me.

level. When he spoke, his voice w

my wife because I allow

nd walked back to his chair, the le

l draw up t

ew this was my cue to stand up and leave, but m

said. His hand was stretched out like he wante

man behind the desk. "I need money for

ck at Elias, who

s first," Martin said gently. "Th

ign after I see the payme

could feel Elias's eyes

?" His voice had changed, r

s desperate. So here it is. Me being desperate. Because if I don't see that pay

felt like a full minute, his fingers drumming once ag

ut of the room

y dress, gripping it so tight my knuckles ached. I stared down at the floor beneath me, po

ho begged on her knees in a stranger's office. I worked for what I had. I showed up early, stayed late, and took the shifts no

ry on my

to find him flipping through folders like I was nothing more than a piece of f

e to replace the wood

t. He let out a slow breath, set the folder down, and finally loo

ke I'd aged twenty years in the past hour. My bones felt tired. My whol

hugged my back like it was made for someone importan

s too beautiful to belong to a man who sho

t a single smudge. The walls were a soft cream color with dark wood trim, and there were a few pieces of art hung abstract stuff I didn't understand but cou

o go over the r

h his words. He didn't care whether I wanted t

r them with you because you seem like the type who will find trouble without m

odd

rowed. "Use

. "Yes. I'm

nthouse starting in two days. That gives you enough time to tie up whatever loose ends

t have anyone close to me ex

hen you'll make les

came out before

Do you want to sign

ter now. "But my mother is dying. I need to be by her si

l mov

ed up

pment, better everything. She'll be transferred there by the end of the week. And I'll sched

thing came out. My mothe

uld get what she needed. All I had to do was keep my head down, follow his rules,

acceptance on my fac

arate rooms, separate lives. You don't knock on my door, you don't wait up for me, you don't ask questions. The o

"I never planned on it. We'll play our parts a

fast to name, Then it was gone but the

ssed the room and held it out to me. On the screen was a receipt. My

myself to bone, skipping meals, praying for a miracle, and here it w

it to my chest. I wanted to cry, and

tin. "Can I see th

very line. It was exactly what Mr. Thorne had said. There was no hidden trap,

My hand shook but my s

nd gave me a small bow,

Mrs. ARI