My Rival, My Only Hope

om New York's most eligible bachelors. She urged me to pick Alexand

ed. On the eve of our wedding, Alexander

m alive and well on a beach, laughing with the poor st

iends-the men who had pretend

me into the ocean and watche

My childhood rival, Darrian Golden, screamed my name as they held him bac

ig decision. This time, when my mother asked me to choose Alexander, I gave

pte

that means." My mother, Emilee Wallace, sipped her tea, he

enthouse, but I felt none of its warmth. This

light but firm. "Alexander, Alaric, Darrius, Jef

through me, a stark contrast to the lavish room. It was a

jet "crashed" with no survivors. I spent years as the grieving fiancée, a broken woman clinging to a ghost, while his friends-Alaric Lambert, Darr

n a sunny beach with Isolde Booker-the poor, brilliant student I had personally sponsored. They even had a child. When I confro

watching from the pier as I drowned. Only one person had shown any real emotion. Darrian Golden, my childhood rival, had followed me

end, was not my final chap

me?" my mother asked,

t her, my well-meaning mother, so ca

" I said. My voice was

derful. Is it Alexander? H

N

d. "Oh. Alaric, t

N

Not Jefferey... surely not Darrian?" Her voice was a mix of disbelief and frust

d my lips. "You're right. He

her face pale with shock

snakes. I ignored the only person whose feeli

aid. "He's currently in Eu

r nodded

instructed. "Tell him to come back. Tel

-Kidd dynasty, was an order he couldn't ignore

. Azal

y tone leaving no

my eyes she had never seen before. Finally, she nodded, h

and Alexander smiling at a charity gala. Without a second thought, I threw it i

s a s

stopped when I heard

Darrian Golden? That's insa

us replied. "She's always loved Ale

the shadow of the

ice low. "He wants this over with so he can get the Kidd

as happening all over a

orry. Azalea is obsessed with me. A little

is face immediately changed, the cold ambi

. We were just t

ll of them, the men I once thought were my

ay?" Alexander asked, stepping

yes feigning innocence. The same eyes that would watch m

, Mr. Booth!" she

er a little too long, a little too

een furious. Now, I felt nothing. I just watch

lk by the pool," Alexander

pool. The four of them, and

?" Alexander asked, his tone light, but

r. I just look

y" tripped again, this time lurching to

bbed my arm, pulling me with h

amiliar. "Help!" I thrashed

ius, and Jefferey dive in. They swam

xander's voice was filled w

my lungs. It was happening all over again. The memor

leaving

ness threatened to take over was of D

him grieve alone. This ti