N

th coming in quick gasps as she stare

bled slightly. She slowly raised her arms-hands cuffed wit

thought, fingers trembling as they brushed unblemi

y pushed herself up, though her weak b

light, a tall figure stepped int

raight nose, and thin-pressed lips. He looked like he'd walked strai

me that

eyes locked onto hers, voice

d wrapped her arms around him, pressin

an. Tr

er said his name like that befo

and full of tricks, trying eve

hat only responded to his fingerpri

hunger strike

aying a new ang

ough his shirt, touching t

, placing his hands on her s

re you

ed this tearless

d she hate him so much

or not, she wasn't leaving. H

eak, she hugged him ag

is this really yo

from three months ago-whe

t she

of him. plunging a b

she'd reall

o gently pat her back. But at th

ldn't giv

but cold enough to sting. "Don't kid your

up, grabbed her own

pa

r

too

es narrowing. "Are you stil

ce softened to almost a whisper, "I'm not. I just had to know if this was real.

sed

t it

pise him for l

er he'd never thought he'd actually see.But the sudden happin

fore loosening her grip around

stabbing ache in his chest. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he raised a hand toward her li

fingers, then wrapped her hands aro

s about to chomp down on him, sh

w. "Trying to win me over with stuff y

o her face, voice stuffy, "Tristan, can w

'd waited way too lon

" Tristan asked,

ngaged. I'm your fiancée. I'll stay with you,

doubt to flicker in soon after. "You said that

d let him down-

d out almost identically. She'd done ever

pped all restrictions and s

shed, and hid in a secret under

istan had lost it and ended up ki

him privately, declaring

own, but she was like a gho

eid Corp's internal systems, drain thei

ashed overnight-bill

global companies were pulled. Th

opportunity t

, as CEO, Tristan didn'

e. he let

months to knock Reid

ped through Megan

him in the eye, and said gently, "I know, for you, all this joy feels way too