ely absent dur

distant woman from a private nur

re his prioritie

f my discharge, a whirlwind of f

en swamped, Ava.

for you. Something to

ve me back to

headed east, towa

to question, t

h estate, music drifti

gnized – Ethan's business associates, s

e!" they

ling me to the ce

n, dropping to one knee

shown me how precious life

ned th

large, glittered coldly

ce dreamed of, a moment now

tion, a commotion near the ent

pale and ethereal, a h

" Her voice was

fer my blessing. You de

, her eyes

feel...

instant, his proposal forg

her into

Are you

quieter room, Chloe's eyes

d her lips before she let her he

she mouthe

owd mu

ring box still in Ethan's

ot and sharp,

en finished

nthouse, the silence

the rooms, a gho

ly, I bega

, the expensive clothes

closet, I found a

f knitted baby bootie

nt of hopeful joy, a drea

the donation bag w

eed Innovate was emai

f Strategy Officer. The archit

o

his voice ti

s this? Your

out of yo

voice surprisingly cal

dulous, then a note of poss

beginning to think you'd say

ally ch

ght I m

ance was

aid, before he could disab

ter, Chloe's I

ome and smiling, feedin

herished 💖. Some surpr

Austin was

on the third d

ce was

an. He... he w

from a paparazzi

an. He needs blood. Your typ

her 'delicate condition' post-kid

. Flew to Monaco, acco

e bloo

made me a perfe

was a bi

t of fury in my stomach, I found myself

the part that had cared for him

rwards, the nurse

vening, Ben

distraugh

was with Ethan

u. Then he started ta

, 'Chloe's too frag

ve her life for me. S

oesn't get

n't. He ne

e than anything, so

break. A necess

my phone buzzed

a designer gown, photographed a

tion" and "trauma"

g to Ben, was s

erical about "feeling unsafe" and "needing him

not even bothering to call or text me, not eve

es had alway

blind, too hope