ly arranged his noodles in a straight line while Aurora, or Rory as she called her, happily mashed hers with a

ious art history fellowship in Europe, a life she had meticulously planned. Then, a scandal she was

ind but firm doctor had laid out the stark reality. A uterine condition from her youth meant that term

g, Julian's grandfather, was gravely ill. The old patriarch had met Chloe once at a university fundraiser and had been ta

a secure future for her and her unborn children. Desperate, she had agreed. She gave birth to the twins in secret, then s

odore's health miraculously improved. The three-year deadline came and went, but with the o

air with Isabelle was one thing, but the suffocating control of the Sterling family was a direct

n her cheek. They were her entire world, a world she had to protect at all costs. That was why she had f

nce was not infinite. She had to secure the d

she took a deep breath and forced herself to return to the cold, silent p

usekeeper, Mrs. Miller, met h

u in the study, ma'am," the older wom

had ever shown her genuine warmth and kindness. He treated her like

the treasure she would protect, no matter the cost. She carefully wiped away any trace of her other life-a smu

already set a vast, invisible net in m

-