eneath her composed exterior as she force

greeting. "Good evening. My name is Nicole-your bride,

rds with nothing more than

use both of them had endured lives marked by relentless adversity and p

he silence. "Do you know

on, Nicole's thoughts scattered for a mom

about me. What made you willing to go th

family, Nicole sensed no outright malice in his tone and replied with

warned evenly, "any chance of

words struck her clearly. She

ntinued in a measured, unhurried voice, "I hold no real standing or favor within the Reed h

almly. "I'm aware of that,

ed and incapable of an

icular desire i

endent on others fo

ltered and swollen by my weight-so your blindne

yes slightly. A flicker of curiosity about his new wife's looks pro

rance, so when he pivoted toward her, Nicole's reflexes took over-she squeezed her eyelids sh

contours, yet her features were delicately beautiful, complemented by exceptionally clear, f

ntic interest in women, he held no

t this," he stated flatly, "go

e frame to tense rigidly. "But yo

es instructing you to lie on the bed auto

er questions might provoke unwanted consequences, she cautiously parted her e

ven a lifeless body would appear m

sed, attuned to the low hum of

filled the space again

hesitant question. "We aren't planni

he act aloud sent an invol

ly, "I simply need to confir

lew open in anger, her b

figured monster described in rumors, the man gazing back possessed strikingly refined, aristocrat

upright. "I must have entered the w

slightly. "What m

the other eligible son

in of a child I personally stripped alive." Con

d around the concealed pistol tucked beneath her gown,

d to the fallen item, registerin