sed to the way his eyes shine, the promise in his vo

bered m

se it was

was the begin

-

That Should

hung in the ai

awson, m

e in love. Tears had blurred my vision as I whispered yes, blind to the truth that the man

t spilling across the table and the smell of coffee thick in the air,

t stayed cold. My puls

e. The practiced tilt of his chin. The soft glint

en would ha

nce

was a wolf dr

and free, slow

e faintest tremor in h

ming, grounding. It gave me the composure I needed to speak without venom

smooth, intoxicating lilt I once thought irresistible. "When you kno

? De

I'd met with h

e way he wanted me to be. "But marriage is... a serious co

before he painted on that charming gr

o

re. Not e

-

es, My

modest ring, not flashy, just humble enough to make me believe he

that I was,

, of partnership, of love

hose eyes and tho

membered everythi

en a wedge betwee

ed that my mother d

orking late," while I sat in

ed me to sign away Dawson Holdings, m

use I tr

the memory. I forced

ed, Richard. D

ng his composure, he gave a soft, in

taying dead, I

atience. Effort. If you're

calculating, weighing the situation. Richard Hale

-

ulated

't used to b

aw, the tight curl of his fingers against his c

rmer this time. "Elena, I don't

curved into a

's power, my father's connections the

ly, playing the innocent girl he

leaning closer. "You feel it too.

e arro

confidence. Now, I saw it for what

before withdrawing. "You'll have to forgive me

froze. "

head. "Don't you want me to be absolutely certain?

is gaze assessing. Then, slowly, his lips

el the strain behind it. "But I'll

tea to hid

e, Richard.

-

ilen

to gold and violet as I stood

me eyes, same lips, same delicate feat

Steadier.

nce fallen for Ric

nst the glass, staring

t you destr

was m

t marry Ri

him ruin my fa

death etched into memory and I would

-

e

nsisted we attend the annual char

a blur just another glittering social event

, I kne

ght everything

irrors. Music floated through the air soft, elegant, and utterly forgettable.

Heads turned as we entered, though most of the admiration went to her Grace Dawson, societ

iving my hand a gentle squeeze. "Smile.

ly yo

ful smile. "Just nervous

wds. I sometimes wonder how you'll ever manag

ked. Not in

d followed her deeper i

was measured. Every

he glances, the whispers. The people Richard would

, the ai

und. It wasn't

... pr

up and th

fectly tailored black suit, stood a man who s

m unconsciously, as though

gray and unreadable locked on me with a focus t

nder

shadow on the edges of society a man of impossible wealth and colder reputation. A k

d that same

glimpse of him that ni

one day become both my family's s

e would quietly swallow every

time, I l

n't loo

er around

usic

weight of his gaze stea

dn't

idn'

ld see right through me to the woman I

this second chance, I felt my pulse

ower. Pos

cut through the spell. "D

breath. "I'm fine,

ed me, sliding bac

as g

dark silhouette but Alexander Knight had

-

air glinting with city lights beyond. And there half-hidden in sh

ughed between us, but h

t, I could've

dly. No

knowi

rebirth, I felt it that trem

night was w

thing to

wasn't the same El