he civil office, the wind brushed

her hand. The paper felt light, almost insignifican

ars. No one trying

res, stamps,

reath and walked forwar

on her retreating figure as she disappeared into the crowd. A

tly and forced t

hat was a

d ended exactly

, his assistan

d to the company?"

in and clos

es

d smoothly i

, Adrian's gaze drifted

he corner, holdin

as sm

r. Not fo

is fingers tighten sli

mediately, his vo

retending. She a

had learned long ago t

ve the driver an address on

clean, with faded walls and narrow stair

e for a moment,

she s

es of waiting, no cold d

as e

ght filtered through the window, illum

suitcase down an

he kept her exp

it

lowered her head, her sho

not make

o one to he

stopped, she wiped her

he murmured

and opened the small box

her medic

over it before she p

ything behind for that marriage. H

the one thing she ha

back," she

noon, she

connected

el

e, it'

the other end, follow

Is that r

es

l these years? Do you k

explain everyth

use, softe

free to

es

ospital. I'll

ded, Yvonne close

ould be th

illa, Adrian steppe

use wa

. The brightness revealed an emptin

qu

s and pushed open

et was h

er had be

m shelf no longe

neat, organiz

ut quickly,"

. That was ho

bed and took

ere no

ssed

had sent messages e

you e

u comi

re of y

d the ch

as s

or a second before

e," he said to himself. "

ase in his che

stood in front of Brigh

familiar, its glass doors re

, she simply

e walke

the sound of hurried footste

quickly through the hal

ng into a life she

onn

tu

hed her with steady steps, her

tie

pulled her int

she said, looking her ove

ed faintly.

r face for a moment b

ot div

not a q

ne n

aid with a quiet sigh. "Marrying

kno

with

Lin poured her a cup of te

are your

k," Yvonne said. "If the

let out a s

ould let someo

inked in

untie Lin continued. "I knew y

throat

nk y

ek," she said. "But n

e loo

as head of the eme

ne f

ch. I've been

Lin replied calmly. "Your records s

on rising in her chest again,

pa

ing st

said quietly.

drian attended

ide him, elega

d gently. "Are you still

m f

settled," she continued.

an n

es

home, the villa fel

room, his gaze drifti

nt, a memo

p, placed the

how late h

arely to

re was

ght l

e wai

sil

settled deepe

ood in front of the mir

oat on her shoulders and

Yvonne

Mrs

dy smile form

ome b

e emergency departm

om three needs you

com

n the corridor, her movem

near the entrance, a familiar

sl

tall and composed, scann

eyes

t, everythi

hed across

" he

front of him, he

it outside. You're b

r, disbelief cl

e a do

es

opped to he

Yvonne

his express

y anything else, a

he patient's cond

urned im

on my

ithout hesitation and en

od, his mind struggling to p

sed to wait for

evolved her lif

st him withou

ought crossed his mind t

have made

time, he did not k