Nana's collapsed body pier

memories are branded

ing I had to support him. I even cashed out part of the life

conglomerate offered to buy his core algori

Allegations of stolen tech. It was a meticulously orche

e had neither the legal funds nor the ironclad evidence ne

ery day feeling like a year. At our lowest point, we squeezed into a damp b

s, my hair fell

n't worry. We'll get through this. We'll bounce back. I p

dog named Pixel, two kids with my eyes and his stubborn jawline. "Chl

asleep, he'd slip out of

ssly as he waste

ur love, our future-it had all turned

himself into

e of his sense of responsi

on the doors of every venture capitalist I could find, b

to the absolute brink,

oblems. He could make the lawsuits disa

condition: I ha

ith Liam. He stood outside his dilapidated office

cked. "I'm figuring it out, I swear I'll turn thin

forcing my voice to sound icy. "L

e with you? Can you give me sta

sick of being poor. Sebastian

his arms, intentionally avo

ould crumble, and Liam would end up i

in anger. Instead, he stumbled forward, grabbe

e so low it was barely a whis

I tasted copper, fighting back tear

Liam's hand away, then inter

college, infuriated that Liam ha

w he was doing this purely to humiliate Lia

is eyes wide with horror. "D

around Sebastian's neck and kissed h

born of pure

aist so tightly it kno

e light in Liam's eyes had van

Liam? I don't l

r. Sebastian can give me t

mained frozen on the sidewalk, completely motionless. The

ime, like a statue of despair

an's car, watching him until the

ished-from our cit

e had gone overs

since I last saw him. It had been thr

ilent spectator trapped in