and said gently, "Don't worry about

, she hurried out, returned with a small tube of ointment, and pressed it into Florrie's hand

rd, and her chest tightened as h

hort while, yet Adalyn could show her

careful devotion, and not once had he offered

then gathered the documents, arranged them neatly

d earlier, the manager swallowed any questions and processed the paperwork. "Company policy requ

ave a sim

and nothing could delay

completed, Florrie dr

and whether he came home o

t upstairs and began placing h

mportant papers, and the keepsakes Alexis had

lay an old album, which

places they had wandered together, and the future she had

bride, but the man waiting for her

andful of pictures of he

Alexis' heart beating in his chest, everything else about Alexander-his ey

exander out of the album before

but she left every piece behind, though

ake Alexis' place, that they might actually build a life to

usion had los

ped the torn halves into the trash. Afterward, she shut the

een hers, and she shoul

p her suitcase and walked out of the

soft but persistent. Luckily, the evening rus

wave of dizziness struck her, and

pressed a palm to her forehead,

st days, and sleepless nights had left her

and pushed forward, recalling tha

er dangerous, yet every m

g dryness, and her vision wavered at the edges. She managed to pull

the car, cutting through her an

her steps forward, but each on

refront, her balance gave way,

r of her failing strength, she felt a suffocating rush of

aught the glint of a black Maybach pulling to th

ure stepped out, umbrella already

, she lifted her gaze to see him kneel, his fingers curled firm

made her

ntical to Alexis', in bo

is had gotten it defending her from a

e injury might damage his nerves and

ssed her hair. "This is my badge of courage for protecting you.

hing really be

warmth of his breath was sud

ng arms pulled her ag

and his voice slipped out in the fainte

st her, muffled by t

ster was the tende

make out the mark at the corner of his eye

n her chest. Could i

that the man hol