XAN

years

g me alive, gnawing

ry, and it wasn't letting up. No matter what I did, or how muc

d dream, and that was the last time I'd seen her, but h

more. I just wanted - no, needed to know she was out there, suffering. Raising her child alone, without

vate investigator. I'd spent a fortune on him over the past three years, t

elf anyway. "Tell me you have something," I said, skipping the pleas

d... almost like she's dropp

n. "Then you won't mind

t of line, but

sorry, Alex. I've checked every lead. She's gone. No

w infuriating. The sharp pain momentarily distracted me from my rage.

so well. Maybe she had help. Look, I'll keep digging, but you might want

this incompetent. How hard can it be to find an orphaned woman and a child?" I seethed. "There's something- find it! I don't fucking pay you to tell me what to

self off the map, and I hated that she'd had the last word like that. Whereas, I had been left with

the satisfaction of watching it all, knowing she was paying for destroying our family. Instead, I was stuck in limbo, w

s clenched into fists. I didn't want to father another child just to sav

u

f antiseptic hitting me as soon as I stepped inside. It

s room, I could already hear raised voices- M

her! I've said this a hundred times, if you want me to step into that position, you know what to t

what you were getting into when you got engaged to Alexander! Howev

ering to mask my irritation but definitely not

m my mother as she saw me walk past. "We've been engaged for three years! Do

working, my eyes piercing into her. She seemed to get the mes

, ple

to me got to shorten my name like that. It irritated me when she did, and it reminded me too much

an excuse to avoid the wedding." She seeme

how you feel, perhaps it's time you get out. You're not

nt; beautiful, wealthy in her own right, and willing to

d herself in self-comfort. "I'm not going anywhe

avoiding anything. In truth, I didn't give a da

or stood beside his bed. My son looked so small, so fragile- it killed

ed, though I alrea

s worsening, Mr. Sullivan. We need to think about the next step

to keep my composure. "What

r present. She would have been his savior. If you dec

I wasn't sure how I felt about bringing another child into the world under these circums

ision made. "We'

room, my res

pressionless, "You may move forward w

r me? It was all for Liam. I would do whatever it took to s