The Substitute Wife's Secret Baby Escape

essing down on her. The air turned cold against her bare skin. She listened to his breathing-steady, measured-a

. He was methodical. Efficient. This act that was supposed to mean something-this thing that was supposed to be about closeness-felt like another item on a checklist he tick

m door cli

It was over. He wou

n the cavernous silence of the room. He'd go to the bathroom now. Shower away any trace of h

t she could be the exception. That she could find a crack in the fortress that was Damien Edwards and let some light through

hall, the grandfather clock ticked on, a steady, mocking bea

ou

fog in her head, cold and

steps. She pulled on a silk robe, her fingers clumsy with the tie. In the floor-to-ce

eliberate. She went straight to the one plac

st

r of warm light spilled into the dark hallway

room smelled of old leather, expensive whiskey, and him. A copy of War and Peace lay open on his m

ook as she

Halle's shade of hair, a similar curve to her smile, but her eyes-her eyes danced with

n's handwriting was scrawled acr

Ela

her lungs in

the proof in her hand, seeing the name written in his own hand-it didn't bring relief.

else. In the grand living room, she pulled a manila envelope from the drawer of a side table. Inside

il

ned, Damie

glass of dark liquor in his hand. His eyes went first to the papers in

ed, though everything inside her was shaking. S

et's get a

is gaze a

being a su

n her hand. Two long strides and he was in front of her. He snatched the pho

e, where embers still glowed from a fir

a flicker of orange flame. The thick stack of legal documents cau

it. She lunged forward, some desperate, foolish instinct

ice, burning her skin. His voice came lo

tightened. "Who do

His breath was col

the right to discu

n his eyes. There was

he snarled, "you will

ackward. He turned and walked out of the living room without

r from all sides. Her legs buckled, and she sank onto the Persian rug, her body trembling uncontr

er of her hope