ett could

e y

ut the man she had spent on

f raising th

ley stood less tha

very instinct told her

as a m

ible m

n't bel

anywhere near men

ce flashed thr

ospit

tor's w

in Dr. Peter

rself to stay

urage more than sh

cket as he stepped away f

mmediately

ations

onnel became

shifted in a way Emma ha

we

e loud

fortle

de people move w

in her dire

gered for ba

e look

cogni

th

nother stranger standi

stung more tha

e didn't re

woul

ered the

g doors clos

nhaled

he fol

y across the lobby befo

a'

into her path po

I hel

swall

peak with Ry

expression b

ngsley doesn't accept

impo

eryone

bli

ha

nd guard

rson who's shown up aski

into Emma

ea

she was one o

hat's not wh

s exchang

ed the urge

e took a ca

a persona

d that's n

d her eye

o

abou

your

our p

r s

may depend on

r voice seemed to c

discussion, one guard f

ve your name

d it out i

he s

pass it

ctly re

was all

Emma was still si

es came

crossed marble floors c

scussed million-dollar d

ietly in a

oes we

attery was

eaten since

r world and theirs coul

pital bill could d

spent more on lunch t

ed the ti

he shou

yb

Ben

looke

dressed woman s

, Mr. Kingsley's e

mediate

hecked h

y can spare

min

iting th

ould t

nk y

or ride fe

mbed, the tighter E

the doo

sleek hallway lined with

ood enormous

knock

opene

Ben

tepped

s larger than

s overlook

iture fille

g looked

looked in

ehind a ma

dn't

't s

ffer a g

studied he

aze all the way

ickered in h

e almost re

mo

not

Ben

deeper than

ted an urge

hroat ti

es

d back in

's not wa

ence st

ed this conversa

word had d

nced at

er meeting in

in his tone pus

afford hesita

five-yea

sion immediat

nge was

o

ar

icta

ctly what he

lded hi

sed to mean so

a flash

e he was s

ouldn't entir

here fo

e remained

ally what c

k out he

is serio

th

eact

rced hersel

an.

ightened arou

is you

m went

didn'

onds, he simply

laughe

e he found

ldn't believe

use

eld hi

heard

lowly

in the room cha

as t

osi

idating as the new

many women have made claim

ined wher

t those

N

ice sh

o believe that afte

me here expe

ossed h

oo

ed up a p

is N

her phone o

looke

on didn't ch

mething

sli

the photo h

k e

r shape t

h to prov

to make Rya

red longer tha

e look

N

fro

N

ecisions based

was contro

ake this seriously, th

wered im

in

bli

eople

oti

e off

dn't he

n for a

her response cau

already knew

he had noth

udied h

, uncertainty crep

eres

her phone bac

s all, I'

d toward

n asked

quest

stop

ild is real

es nar

ive years t

ood mot

came withou

needed yo

aid no

ked back

n her eyes was i

need yo

ice so

ve our

he wal

strangely quie

standing bes

the photograph still d

oy's

esemb

nty in Emm

it mad

felt entirely

e sudden

broke th

ced at th

Harri

icon appeared

fian

supposed to mar

nswe

phia said cheerfully

ed out th

ill inside the conve

n a little bo

y who might

change ev

owered his gaze to the business card Emma h

oubt slipped through the walls of c

inside, a question

was tellin