A lazy, practiced smile touched his lips, but it

sn't Mrs. Lawson. Didn't your tyrant of a husband lock you in

. She forced herself to ignore the sting o

The day you married Aloysius Lawson, I told you th

Carlisle families, a bitter rivalry that had spanned gen

know," she whispered. "Bu

You chose to save Shaw Consortium. A noble sacrif

exposing the raw, transactional truth of her marriage. A wave of dizziness

eir shared history. "Juli

ay she became Mrs. Lawson." He took a sip of his whiskey. "Besides, Aloysius made it very clear I was to sta

of pride and old family wounds, but it was also fear. Or at least, a very pragmatic

er final option. The friend who was once closer to her tha

lass on the balustrade with a soft clink

said, his voice laced with a cruel finality. "Y

h. Her heart, already fractured, felt like it was sinking in

r bones. Across the terrace, through the glass doors, she saw Aloysius. He was wa

y genuine, a shield for his family's interests. Bu

sult was the same.

nctual act, Izora reached out and grabbed the sleev

roken whisper, thick with te

didn't turn around, but he di