Felicity's sharp, angry voice pierced through her eardrums. "I've be

legitimate daughter-Felicity-back home and threw Chloe and her grandmother, Martha, ou

raid of disturbing the unconscious man beside her. "Felicity, ple

her end before a cold laugh, utterly de

he hospital won't accept 'give me a little more time' as an excuse. And yo

ing the feeling of the

l personally go to the hospital and unplug the machines keeping her alive." S

phone began to tremble uncontrollably, her knu

ed about most, and she never hesitated to d

n before finally starting with obvious reluctance. As she drove out of the parking lot, the Rolls-Royce silently slipped into the night as we

at had felt almost unreal, disappe

eering wheel as a sharp, unfamilia

ergy left to

on her chest like three massive stones, making even breathing difficult. She barely slept that night. By the time th

glanced toward the spot where the Roll

s nothin

ned, as though everything that had happened the previous night had

ne suddenly rang. The caller ID read

The nurse's voice was noticeably urgent. "It

in that instant. All she could hear was t

violently against her ribs until she could barely breathe. When she burst into the ICU, the first

moment. Chloe's legs gave out beneath her and she collapsed to her knees beside the bed. Grabbing the blanket, she

o consume her completely, h

D - Ava

e childhood. Her closest

ha." Ava's hurried voice came through the

er, Ava hurried in

tanding in stark contrast to the hospital's worn and gloomy surroundings, as though she belo

folded piece of paper

looked

s a c

field was a figure that made h

ed thousan

d her voice. "That's so much

xpression. She quickly pulled Chloe to the end of the corridor

... they found me." She paused, as th

and said each word carefully. "I'm the l

e fr

tion the improbability of it all. She could only stare blankly at h

at's won

disappeared from Ava's face, replaced b

's arm, her fingertips turning pale from the fo

realized wha

anged a marriage for me. The groo

r mind clearly struggling to ke

ve with someone else. If I refuse the marriage, they'll fre

uddenly g

Ava revealed he

to marry him

ertain she

ha

ic. He's a complete recluse. No one will realize you're not me. Just give me some time to deal with

er head almos

s is rid

son's place? Pretend to be t

't merely

s ins

pushed the check back into Chloe's hand, her perfe

the only way t

rrying an urgency that

nly tem

eas

s the o

er palm, yet it felt so hot s

ed thousan

able gaze, because it was enough to keep Mart