the first page for w

N FOR D

k ink right below those words. A

sb

i

l boiled down to two na

ally lo

t divorce p

ed the fold

o give them to

let out a

nig

es

annive

inch. His fa

for you to find

enne. The wine glasses. The champagn

ly did you se

didn't

er chest just

why he was late, maybe flowers. Instead, she found cancelled plans and

r the folder,

nts, financial details. Whole pages, and none of them mentioned a chance to fix things. No counseling

ready d

didn't

es

hurt more tha

papers drop

he

idn't lo

compli

head. "It's not co

riage. You slept with someone else. You had these drawn

w tigh

about yo

ce cracked. "What is

marri

ong and hard. "That

ided h

e in his expression, every sign he was tired or worn out, or hiding

worse than the

epped

ave you bee

ent cold. "That

at him. "No

ange what's ab

erence if it was one

N

it fast.

in her jus

tters

kno

tell

. He wouldn't e

ce filled

se

w

i

l no

There wasn't a hint of shame-just this strange

she'd shared with Lucian. How many times she'd heard his voice in the da

?" she tr

face didn

iscuss tha

to her lips. "You won

re up

your

r much

. No hesitation. The

ent s

ybe realizing he'd gone too far

ghed, almos

aking this harder

napped her

speaking

sheet up just a little more. "

her eyes. "What are

at Lucian, then b

been happy

's stomac

oticed," Vivie

Lucian's ton

a year. He stopped coming home early. He stopped going with yo

at him, heart pounding

a reason. Work. Family. Stress. Business. She'd been so frantic to

ndly. "You actually though

a's face

oug

quietly. "Lucian didn't come her

ked at Lucian

ans

oice was barely

th

p loving me

ere was something there-regret, maybe. Exh

was a punc

ruelty. Even a lie. Anything but this-watching

own at her w

e y

later-Lucian Cross, master negotiator, looking terrified on his own wedding day. H

God help her, sh

her thumb ov

y of it

twisted, eve

ha

marri

esit

is gaze. "When you married m

"These questions

ll hel

eed to know if the last five

n at her wedding r

ut you," he

ed. "That's no

kno

ou lov

went de

e looke

t Seraphina for

, "There was a t

-everything in

was

ed, slow

He was telling the truth, or at least as much as he was wi

the divorce

should be

owned. "F

ly getting

pers, slid them nea

tched

have to sig

ked at him, a

rite these

N

r la

es

n this-outsour

or the folder

a loose page sli

down to p

the top ca

week

gers we

e weeks ago, she'd ordered his birthday cake. Three weeks ago, they'd sat toge

he'd already set

m, her grip white-k

d these thre

fted just a littl

lready

ayed

the paper

you were planni

aphi

et me plan

l said

sses goodbye, the little routines. How many of those moments had been fake? H

but she wouldn'

uld have

s goi

he

ans

na nodd

s into the folder, hu

nne, sprawled in the

we were celebrating

ok, but she h

dying herself, "you've been celebrat

d toward

t up. "Se

, but didn'

top caring

ut. For just a second, s

bered the date

week

wasn't enough to stop him

ened t

uld've told

ped into

n didn't move. He

inally unsure whether she was leaving a marriage that had alr