it me from

to bring Ethan

onica's private r

after three mont

m, so measured, was a raw

word thick with a despera

oze on the

g, his voice cracking. "I'll marry Amelia.

followed, som

ee cup

n the polished

hed, scalding my ank

n't f

eading from my chest, a numbn

ecade of lovin

quiet pining

th

laceholde

be near the wom

sis

n't g

, the shards of ceramic

the kind that whispered money, pulle

, her eyes wide wi

what have

what I've

, but his representative. Impeccably dressed, radiati

already in the drawing-

too loud, too eager. "Such an honor. Mr.

placed a heavy, leather-bound pro

offer a solution for Miss V

eath

ics, has developed an experimental treatment.

d, his eyes gleam

" Mr. Davies said, his gaze flicki

d on my arm. "What

es to marry Miss

But... Amelia is eng

Mr. Davies stated, his tone

embling. "They say... they say he's... damaged. Fr

rival's attack had left him

hat... Amelia

s already lookin

e... immensely grateful for Mr. Thorne's generous offe

es raise

, Thorne Advanced Dynamics will provide the trea

pau

orne will also settle the Walk

calculating, now shone with

ious under Dad's management, had bee

e, torn between her fear for me a

of Ethan

ust so I can be here.

ugh almost

a man with a fearsome repu

a coma, held the hea

wasn't l

o it,"

ut it cut through the

"Amelia! M

at me, tears wel

wed himself a small, al

gements wi

ight, Mom ca

re? There has to

ck moving furiously across the p

isn't

n... you

so hard the c

ash. "What I thought was love was a

ll her what

he coffee cup, or the sca

oo raw, even for a

ey say," Mom whispe

agged, broken lin

said, my voice flat. "Maybe