old. Below, the harbor ligh

ped pretending, and without the borrowed coldness or the borrowed

you was

. Not the s

going to. The slap rang off the stone,

married to a man who could change. I hoped, Edward. Do you understand what that

kno

brother, not you. Every man in this story has decided what I was for

se him out of fear and hate me out of honesty. I told m

ght that

is l

. "You just wanted to

ething crack in his face, so

wanted to buy it and set you free. He outbid me by two million, and I watched him lo

uld have

kno

ld have a

my family who has ever been gentle with you. My brother will never relea

right about

, from the doorwa

ression at all. Beatrice had no idea how long he had been there-whether he ha

ward her. A shadow that had been there for longer than a moment-long eno

. Watching. Letting

know that my room in Singapore was being held." His lips curved into something that wasn't a sm

was angry; she could see it now, beneath the stillness. A

"Even as a boy. You always wanted what wa

not a

w something flicker behind them. Pain. Betrayal. Possession. "And you knew. You knew, and you

Not until the television. No

ia

not l

being happy." He stepped closer, and she forced herself not to move. "You think I don't know what you are? You're a Hale. You'r

" she asked. "What

dn't

hands clenched at his sides. Sebastian stood in the

e. You signed it, and you took the money, and you took the ring, and you took everyt

know abo

w what I was. And you stayed. You stayed, and you smiled, and you played the perfec

ever t

ldn't h

words at once. She had never heard him say anything a

slowly. "I didn't ask. Be

n his face. Somethi

m not afraid of this house. I'm not your wife. I'm not your contract. I'm not your survivor." She step