ingered bet

ed to

se words for months. Ev

gotten an

n that ended befo

her, she had known t

to arrive on the night she h

self to meet A

ut w

d his tie and walked toward the dining room, where

cold. The wine r

Reduced to a table no one

chair. "Sit." His

motionless. Elena quie

moment, nei

d until Vivian appea

etween them

I shoul

shook hi

Sta

Elena harder th

n. Instead, her husband had chosen another wo

ing a few seats away. "I rea

are

her gaze. Not anymore. Adrian

bout this for a long

this marriage sh

s. No dramatic accusations. Just a sentence spoken w

ightened beneath

n't lo

ir from the room. Vivian

ian.

s though he ha

I believed this arrangement could work." Arra

een a goo

sai

of the house." "Y

e everything

ness word. As though she

gether could be summariz

eciation i

tared a

you stop

ion remaine

hink I ever

t all at once. Just enough for the pain to b

ybe you both j

looked

id

smile f

that relations

th

e remain

ds bring other women to t

ilent. Vivian's

dn't k

enough t

r, Adrian interrupted. "T

o.

nodded

isn

directly

's y

ething flickered across his face. Gui

intend to

out a qui

e ever

de, rain began tapping softly ag

in the liv

ord. The moment the door c

re you're fina

blinked

se in Map

can ke

n million dollars

ave to worry

. Was that what he believed she wanted? Compensation?

want yo

n't cha

els li

serve so

miled

rriage was worth?" "Th

N

mained surpri

me what you

looke

you the life

ble. The life she deserved... Was the one she h

. Just him. Final

from he

eady made yo

ha

are we stil

ecause I wanted to t

No

ook he

ease your own

w tigh

you that

esty months ago.

the living room came the faint sou

ifted down the hallw

. Elena walked toward the window,

opened the drawer of the sideboard. She heard paper s

g a brown doc

neatly prepared stack of papers. Every page already carri

s prepared e

rst page... Two word

E AGRE