ike glass, as if he could see every

masking her unease with composure. "I

den couldn't explain why, but a faint ed

lk between him and his mother. If she had, she wouldn't be standing there so quietl

ttle. "It's getting colder. You haven't been feeling well

stomach twist. "Keep your kindness for Talia. She

his ribs, but before he could respond, his gaze droppe

m, and his brows knitted tight.

deep, raw gash made his stomach twist. His expression harde

s gone. Shards of glass glimmered across the floor, and amid them l

nease stirred in his chest. She'd ne

ked her hand from his. The warmth

. He started to speak, but a sudden sharp crack

way. The cup she had been holding lay in pieces at her feet, water spreading across the floor like a stain. Her face was streaked with

e soft, desperate. "You've got it wrong, Talia. She's hurt. I only came t

at Deanna. "I know you're grieving, but Brody was your brother-in-law. How can you l

any idea who she'd been sleeping beside for the pa

her eyes narrowing. "I wouldn't

ovements faltered, and he stared at her,

ther of them. "Please leave. I'd l

Jayden's throat tighten. He glanced at her once more, on

anna followed her, closing it with quiet finality. On the other side, Talia's tremb

cting like nothing was amiss, she slipped her arm

the unmistakable and even bolde

kept her face stoic as she set fire to the

ly is requesting your hand for the ninth time. This time, we're offering

rious families, held a status so high that many

uccessor, slipped into a coma a year ago. Now, with his conniving u

and continue the family line, Gerard Gordon, Connor's grandfather, pulled out all the stops, but no one was willing to step into a life m

ted to mar

young age, she had always carried herself with the grace of someone born into privilege. For the Gordons, she was the

r disaster. For Deanna, though, marrying into the Gordon family meant walking away with one hundred million in

ith the Spencers, and returning to the E

proposal, because her heart belonged to

eanna set her fingers on the