with Edward on the floor. I can't tear my eyes away as I watch him lift our

t mess with my mind and mak

m is the man I fell in love with,

ftness in his blue eyes, he gives me a

a flicker of hope, a glimps

," he says, his voice

with me to th

completel

s out sharper than I inten

t this. I do

ing his head like

to work. Get your old job back. Yo

m, trying to

ice, since he convinced me that bein

er, he asked me to s

urn to the company? He's never wante

at, Christopher?" I

d, Lizzy. We'll

rt, deciding not t

d head to t

feel a strange exciteme

thing outside these walls, anythi

o what I'm good at, maybe I'll find a way

nd pencil skirt, brush

with a mixture of n

prison, even if I know Christop

e. But for now, I'll play alo

s waiting by the door, his eye

ul," he says, hol

affectionate. I try not

ances at him, trying to figure

ually cal

nt, replaced with... what? I can't put my finger

finally ask, unable to hold

ht smile. "Consider it the start

s to get back

en trying to hi

dding me, C

s, as if he's th

. I've got a new partner investing in the company, and I fe

too well to

the empty promises. But if he thinks he can win me

ng in my mind. I'll bide my time, keep Edward clo

ver to my thigh, a touch that used to fe

to suppress the disgus

this in months, and I ha

forcing a smile

his face twisting into a smirk,

but I force myself to laugh sof

ice, I feel a strange mix

s if I'm stepping back into a

s glancing our way, clearly intrigued. Christopher walks beside me, his han

ig smile on my face, play

room, and I pause as he opens the door

with an air of pride. Everyone's already

ristopher asks, his vo

gathering around the tabl

looking around for the

at the far end, is a ma

s a beat as I

ast

ylight, with his dark eyes, sharp

him exuding po

s me the most-steady, intense,

ok away, my

ell is he

hroat; Sebastian's prese

all remember my wife, Elizabeth. She'll be ta

an anxious smile across the

who's watching me with a c

ght, about the situation Christopher pu

ng a touch of pride, "I'd like to introduce our n

hit me l

can barely hide my shoc

rd the room, his gaze landing on me just brie

rking with all of you," he

accomplish great

sional, but there's an underl

consumed by questions and doubts. Christopher's voice fade

irs a strange and confli

t and the way he treated me with

thering their papers, chatting among themselves. I feel Chris

one barely friendly. "You r

s on me, dark and pierc

ing else-something that sends a shiver down my spine. He reaches out, sha

. I don't understand what is happe

small nod, his eyes

notice the tension between u

l going to make a

the briefest moment, I see somethi