arming Nicole's face as she sat quietly, her

dressed in her crisp white coat and with an air o

Mrs. Fury," the doctor said, h

ned, nodding. "T

came to sign your discharge papers, you'll need to take care o

of how alone she had become. "Of course," she

ings and headed to the fron

ersations filled the air. When it was her tur

shier asked, n

ury," she

husband's surname

typed, the

slip of paper handed to her. There, the amount stared out at

" the cashier asked as flat

hesit

Riley had given her, a symbol of t

g that card felt

and replied, "I'll pay usi

ulled out her phone and lo

d fought to save every penny despite his promise to promote her into a

uin her marriage; she had taken

bet she's already handed my job to someone

confirmation, the app blinked an error message

mach dr

ried

er fa

er asked impatiently, tapping

o sound composed. "There is some problem w

restlessly. People whispered, the so

their stares,

, if you can't pay, you'll need t

, her frustration boiling o

urther, a deep, calm voice cut throug

y to see a man stand

. A hint of stubble further accentuated his sharp jawline

aback with his sudden presence.

ncing her protest. "I i

ut as the cashier's impatient gaze bore into her,

hout hesitation, and the transac

demeanor polite but detached. "

ll stunned. "I am.

Ethan Ca

ftly. They shook hands brief

ger or ask for her number, as mos

mile and walked away, disappearing through th

en for a moment,

s without expecting anything in return? sh

orning air filling her lungs. It was then tha

return to, no fam

. Losing her mother when she was 12

anything to do with her, she had faced

again, all alone

as enough to get her a small apartment. However, she

he needed som

it, and the driver, young and with a kind

responding. "Take me to

and she climbed i

her eyes caught his face. Her breath

ed, her voice trem