violent heaving finally stopped. She pushed herself up,

was a wreck. Her eyes were red and swollen, her mascara smudged beneath her lower

how it was

s. She had loved this man since she was sixteen years old. She had spent ten years of her life looking up to him, molding he

repaired the damage, painting on a mask of flawless composure. She tucked a stray strand of hair bac

back into t

arm around Amaris, his hand resting possessively on the small swell of her s

hard flame in the pit of her stomach. The pain was still there, a r

in their love story. She was Elisha Ho

click of her heels on the marble flo

it first. He t

ed by a look of pure shock that quickly hardened into dark, thundero

his body, subtly but firmly placing himself

clear, undeniable line. Him and Amaris on one side, Elisha on the other. He didn't look guilty. He did

cally dragged her a few steps away into a secluded cor

, his voice low, vibrating with supp

as the one caught at an OB-GYN clinic with his pregnant mistress,

verwhelming scent of the vanilla perfume clinging to his jacket hit her again. Her stomach clenched violently. A

nt. His eyes narrowed

sgust. "Don't play games. This pathetic act to get att

ical symptom of her pregnancy-his child's pregnancy-was just a manipulative tric

d lowered her hand. She met his cold ga

d, her voice surprisingly steady, refusing t

Right. We'll talk about this at home." It

en them was a thi

oined the fray. Soft, swe

darling? W

er expression was one of wide-eyed innocence, but her eyes held a glint of triumphant malice. She