n Kell

ly had come within minutes, a simple, unequivocal, "On my way. Don' t move." But I couldn

ding before the fireplace. I was feeding our wedding album to the flames, page by

ard, trying to snatch the book from my hands, b

as I felt. I tossed the entire ruined alb

pulling his hand back, the skin on his fingertips red and blistering. He stared at m

ded, cradling his burned hand. "Whatever it is

while whispering promises of love. The hate was a physical thing, a cold, heavy weight

rom the fire, from him. I walked towards the bathro

cious than any I' d felt before. I braced myself against the marble vanity, nausea r

y hand trembled a

with malice. She was filming herself, and behind her, I could see the unmistakable sterile

egnant. Ve

pathy. "Such a shame. Seems like you just can' t hold on to anything, can you, Emerson? Not your company,

was so much blood. It soaked through my clothes, pooling on the cold marble floor. I collapsed, my body convulsing,

side my hospital room door. The pain was gon

e alive," one nurse was saying. "But Mr. Ca

the ER himself. She just had a little fall, but he demanded every top speci

y' s minor fall was his top priority. My life-threatening hemorrhage was a secondary concern. He had probably paused on his way

t never the raw, primal fear of loss. Because he was never losing anything he trul

aming in protest. I ripped the IV from my arm,

quiet, sterile hallway of the VIP wing. I followed the sound of h

red i

he slices falling perfectly onto a plate. He was feeding them to her, piece by piece, like she was

, his voice the one he used to reserve for m

ing she was home. It just puts me on edge. Maybe... maybe for the baby' s sake, she shouldn' t be

st quarters of my own home. My home. The home he had bo

the door, my hand flying to my mouth to

apped up.

ething else-guilt. He rushed towards me, but I was already turning

s not what you think!

n so profound it threatened to tear me apart. I burst through

his hand clamping down on my

e," I hissed

. "Cydney is... she agreed to be a surrogate for us. After all your

ence, that I could only stare at him. A surrogate. He was calling his mistress

he words dripping with venom.

for me to believe the fantasy he was weaving.

rom the hallway above us. Cydney' s voice

d. For a split second, he was torn, his gaze f

in that second, I saw hi

y oxygen tanks, had broken loose from an orderly on the floor below. It

ime to think.

rroll made his choice. He didn' t push me t

ont of Cydney, who had appeared at the top

e to face the

ss. The force of the collision threw me against the concrete wall. My he

feet, ignoring me completely, his arms wrapped around a whimpering Cydney

-