a frown creasing his forehead. The messa

liant. She was the furniture in his life-necessary, functional,

ning back against the pillows, eyes flu

Caroline whispere

his tone. He reached out and tucked a str

d. A notificati

d: $500,000.00 to

It was more than generous. It was a fortune for someone like her, someone who came from nothing. It w

ng by the door like a statue. "Make sure the nur

Mr.

atch. Twenty minutes

again. Not a te

ined. Funds Retu

e notification. Returned? Ser

at?" he muttered, thu

ed on the

he pleasantries. "Because it's a poor one. I'm not in th

nt your mon

wasn't the whisper he was used

want? Jewelry? A v

re. Bring your lawyer. Or I can have mine file the petition unil

The hospital sounds-the beeping monitor

. "You're bluffing. You think threatening divorce will make me ch

ot here, I'm filing for a restraining order along

ic

up on h

Or she was putting on a hell of a performance. Either way, he couldn't fo

his jacket. "Call legal. Me

e, what about

an said, his jaw tight. "I n

ax and stale coffee. It was a small, windowless box des

-shirt. No jewelry. No makeup. Her hair was pulled back in a severe ponytail. Sh

of expensive cologne and suppressed rage with him. His

onto the table. It slid across the wood

he consent form for the transfusion, and we go home

e check. She slid a thin fi

his," s

. Dissolution of M

y. His eyes scanned the clauses, expecting demands f

loud, frowning. "Clause 7: Division of Assets...

. "You're asking for nothing? Yo

h my name," Seraphina

e dropping. It was a statement of fact in his world. "You have no

lian. Or I start talking to the press about

ind the desperate, needy woman he married. She

im. He wanted to shake her. He want

under the fluorescent lights. "If you want to ruin your life to pro

ross the bottom of the page

o him. Her hand didn't

tamped the papers

of Divorce will be finalized and mailed. You

cked up her copy of the pa

," sh

g his cuffs. "Now let's go. The ca

ll, sad smile playing on her lips. It was

get it, do you?"

d smell her scent-vanilla an

she whispered. "I'm not your proper

her arm. "Seraphina

dodging his touc

"Tell your mistress to find another donor. Or maybe

ed and w

on room. The check for a million d

rang. It w

a whimper. "Where are yo

und of her voice didn't make him want to

pit opened in his stomach. He had the distinct, terrifying sensati