casting long, bright beams of light across the polish

her navy scrubs. In her hands, she held Theodore Duncan's latest blood work reports. Her eyes were glu

e opposite end of the intersecting hallway, was a

li

nervously around the busy hospital. The nightmares from the previous night had left him hi

tic-filled dispatch from the estate's security detail. Startled by the sudden noise, she instinctively

cart out from a blind corner. The harsh, grating screech of the wheels against the linoleum echoed like

in the boy's e

rner, his small sneakers squ

orner, her eyes still lo

h

was hard enough to knock the breath out of the small boy

lipped from her hands, paper

o sorry," Alivia

to check if the child was hurt. Her h

n loo

beating. The blood in h

ct same shape, as Collis Duncan's. But it wasn't just the eyes. It was the slope of his nose, the

e hit her. A violent, inexplicable pull in her chest. A deep, agonizing ache

Her fingers began to tremble unc

Oh, thank

face flushed with panic. She dropped to her

to pull Julian up. "The young master gets so frig

oung

a like a physical b

is's

t. Five years ago, she had given birth in a filthy medical ten

man. He had built a family. He had a beautiful, living s

tered the icy wall she had built around her heart. T

She needed to stand up. She need

ian did

s small, pale hand. His tiny fingers clamped down hard on the crisp wh

pleaded, pulling his arm. "Y

livia's tear-filled eyes. His own eyes were w

all hand clutching her coat.

She looked at the boy, a tear slipping down her cheek and landing

d at the tea

pulled out a small, laminated white card. It was a flashcard

ushing it right into A

woman with long dark hair. Beneath the drawing, written in shaky, oversized

A

t the drawing, and then immediately

ing. The ambient noise

lt like a bolt of lightning had struck her directly in the chest. Her

n. Com

and echoed with absolute

blood r

n a sharp black suit, was Collis. His dark eyes were fixed on th

her's voice. His small fingers slowly,

her face with the back of her hand in a frantic, desperate motion. She turned to face the ma