esidence with nothing b

ervants wasted no

t she left with empty hands. If she's tryi

ybody knows she only married into this family for the mone

e her doesn't deserve him anyway. I doubt

he's all talk. Just wait-she'll cave and quit her jo

, why not just go through

erself and the house, their ridi

r dry, leaving her bod

raining told her she w

ng herself to stay upright

owed by a sleek black car that b

dodging the oncoming car. In that brief second, she caught sight of

, cutting her off from hi

e spot, a sad, broken s

with her standing alone in the

eyes lingering on Deanna's pale figure. "Sir, she looks like she's about to collapse.

e reason Gillian lost the baby. Even if she gave up

rled into a faint smirk befo

traffic, leaving Deanna expos

ps and making her vision swim. She tried to blink away the dark

ully as she clutched her

around her, the

drift-light as a leaf, cut loose from its b

na glimpsed a familiar face-sharp lines and

inned her down. As her senses faded, a distant, urgen

hospital after a frantic phone call, only to find

sweat collecting on her brow. She hovered on the edge of l

ology rushed to her side, their voi

wisted his expression. "She lost so much blood and still finished that surgery. Yet when she fell il

ed a finger toward Gillian's room. "Are they really so shameles

ling with anger, rushed D

finally broke and her eyes fluttered open, she fel

hile the chaos of yesterda

ree years spent loving a man who had once he

st, hiding her face in her arms

uine love would be returned. Instead, he

effort and obedience could

that dream

aive-looking back, even that

sunlight filtered in thro

s just as her coworkers arrived, with Theresa leading the way, bal

er hand in relief. "You nearly gave me a heart attack.

always had a flair for the dramatic

he whole team's agreed to cover your shifts, so you don't have to think about anythin

bar in cardiac surgery. When Gillian's pregnancy required close m

, but after watching her in the operating room

lot-surgical success rates shot up, and the h

been hard-earned, and right now,

d by the rest of the team,

to relax, genuinely m

she looked over at Theresa, who lingered b

in. Haven't you had enough of him ignoring you? If you're still hoping to patch things up, at le

smile. The heartbreak was gone-

aid, shaking her head. "I j

uld make sure to appear blameless-crying for sympathy, painting herself

hispers within the Dixon family. Gillian would play to th

n had spent acting like a friend, only

, only to end up holdin

cle Deanna scrolled thr

a snake, and you keep getting bitten because you refuse to see it. You used to call her your friend with a 'good heart.' Well, now the wh

her attention glued to

nd Benignity Hospital-Connor and th

was everything. For a ho

at her, but she couldn't let the place sh

idn't realize that the same expertise Deanna had used to sav

eally disappeared-it needed constant care,

ch she'd cared, and how little Gillia

hivered. "Deanna, um, what's going on? I know you've been through hell, but you're scari

face, realizing her old habit of defendin

spoke with quiet determination. "Honestly,

ainst her pillow, closing her eyes, leaving

ust ha

a really

y time she complained about Connor. Now,

hard enough to leave a mark. The sting