ruly delicious abo

me like a hunter who'd cornered her prey. The marble statues

a chain. All those nights you waited up like a faithful little dog?" Her laugh w

a punch, but I stay

scaped as barely a whisper, tears

own to my destruction. "You can't even give him a child, can you? How pathe

ithout thinking

there. The one that

s a billionaire raised in luxury-of course he wants an heir. But don't worry." She leaned close

chest, raw and animal. "You're shameless! Even aft

touched her-but she stumbled backward wi

va

ike an angry angel, his face twisted with fury a

glare could have stripped skin fro

perfect crystal drops that caught the gallery lighting. "Ava

rmance wa

e echoed off marble walls like thund

t the weight of staring eyes. His colleagues had appeared like vultures s

brought to you i

ass and starlight. The protective way he held her, the tender concern that lived in hi

so sharp I co

little sister... she's always been difficult. I don't want her embarrassed." She pressed h

es, the whispered conversations. His careful

ollow m

e a puppet whose strings were pulled by a master, my

old bedroom in our parent mansion. The place where I'd slept on the floor during those first

wns scattered carelessly among boxes of medical journals an

weetly, settling onto the small chair like a quee

r wasn't for her. Never for her. "That's the l

self between me and Sophia like I was the threat in th

rs of elaborate deception-my body still moved to obey him. Y

ed against Marcus's chest, her sobs painting

t bruises. "Ava, massage Sophia's feet. Now. It's your

stopped. A small, winning smirk replaced them-the expr

l not

deep inside me. Some part th

did yo

l not

the concrete floor hard, instinctively curling around my stomach as

ry god. "How dare you tell Sophia she stole everything when you can't do a single th

tears, his words crushing what r

llen completely. The thought of what might have happened

n. "I'm the true daughter of the Harrison family, and Ava is adopted. I took our parents' lov

words were final, absolute. "Every bit of pain,

me hearing those words from the m

ried. This was the f

was the final straw. "Please get up. Marcus was

from me like a dam bursting. "Just shut up wi

lm across my face e

er than any physical pain. I pressed my fingers to the st

ice was deadly quiet now-more terrifying than s

s. This man I'd worshipped, this s

had finally sli

wind. "Is that what you call sleeping with my husband behin

va! How could you say such horribl

my body. "The hotel rooms. The matching necklaces. Three years of elaborate lies." My vo

th rage. "You're delusional. P

ed?" I met his eyes without flinching. "At least be man

hing flickered across his features-not guilt or regret, but calculati

ves me what you never could-passion, intelligence, a partner worthy of my posit

destroyed me. A week

d Dominic's voice on the bridge reminding m

said quietly. "This

steps steady despite the wrec

're going?" Marcus's vo

the man who'd been my whole world and

something duller-like a book slamming shut. Marcus's hand connected with my c

t bloomed ac

the tender spot where his palm had branded me. The sting was nothing compared to the way my chest