The Warden's Second Chance

ella

posed to be m

s, warming my skin. I had stretched in my bed, feeling lighter than I had in years. It was my birthday. M

ing. Pink roses. I had decorated the ballroom myself, arrang

n in years, friends who had drifted away, reporters who had come to ca

een so

come cut

ounger sister. The one I had grown up with, shared secrets with, loved with my whole

been wide, her

d squeezed my hand as I passed him, and I had smiled down at him. My

called back, my vo

ed their cameras, their flashes bright and blinding.

he knife. I had been about to cut the fir

she ha

er, confused.

t I did not read the meaning into it. "I have a surprise for you, I

full of love. "A s

ething cold had settled in my stomach, b

said, my voice

ed out a document. A thick, official-looking do

nounced, "is a mar

ent. I stared at the

ertificate?"

ile had widened. "Yes

hysical blow. I stumbled back

" I wh

handed me the document. My hands

phia Hale. Ethan Carter.

e y

ion blurring. "This... this is

head. "It's not a joke

en standing beside her, his arms

ded. "Tell them it'

His eyes had been col

another document at me. It had hi

e one you've been carrying around like a fool. It's a

y mouth opening an

e dripping with cruelty. "You were the other woman.

ispered. Their eyes had been filled with judgmen

arm. I had looked into his eyes,

Tell them it's a lie. Pl

pushed

My hands had scraped against the marble. I l

ended me. He had just stood ther

had clutched my hea

han's nephew?" Sophia had continued. "H

hild I had played with. The child I

s the

, her voice mocking. "I was giving birth to our child. We

, my voice cracking. "I wo

ng about us, didn't you, Isa? You loved Ethan. You loved

ca. My mother. The wo

Tell them. Tell me, i

er eyes had been cold.

me that,"

had hit the floor ha

d said. "The girl who had everything. Th

my heart shattering i

tinued. "We took everything. And

again. She had placed her h

d. "I'm four months pregna

wrapped his arm around Sophia. He had kissed her chee

blinded me. I had lain on the floor, in my birthday

e had bought

his. All of it. F

inside me. Something I had

world h

eneath the floor. Then the building groaned.

he old scientist book of Warden that was read in scho

other, pushing and shoving, desperate to escape.

rabbed their son. He had grabbed Rebecca

not loo

nce. She glared at me with a l

hey we

I had tried to run. Bu

the ceiling. It had land

o pull myself free, but the brick had been too heavy

help. I begged.

e had

ust had filled the air. Debris had fallen

one, Isabella. Not Ethan. Not Rebecca. Not

er's words. Don't trust him,

me. But I had not listened. I had been too b

all. I had looked up at

one final b

wish. If I have another chance, I will listen this

collaps