when she woke was a line of f

rmation that the night befo

as r

side her hospital

ed Olivia Price came i

e asked, her voice soft with a pit

n rasped, her thro

reassuring smile. "Stable for now. Sh

erced through the fog

ab

enough

r, was becoming c

n the bedside table, her mo

e Julian one

to not be the monste

his priva

ran

ra

ra

someone p

n't Julian

el

, husky with sleep, an

s Car

n almost casual triumph,

s heart

the distinct sound of the rain s

bath

eir h

rlene continued, her tone dripping with

is a business matter for Mr. Hawth

cation wa

the pe

was the b

n operating table, her husband had t

their child

came, was not the broken

as i

woman realizing she had been caught. "You're in my house. Wearing my bracelet. Sleeping in my bed. Enjoy it

fore Carlene c

d, Adalynn en

hope she didn't even know sh

t just a

lete and utte

ly clear thought f

know about

r was not a

as a

s hers

ivorce, a bargaining chip for a man w

rolled through her contac

est f

ro

st ring. "Addy? What's up?

escaped Ada

hispered, and th

ces-the restaurant, the bracelet, the rejected calls, the em

oane's silence morphed from shoc

e of human garbage. I'm going to make him wish he was never b

iped the tears from her fac

y, burning with

done c

one being

hower, a towel slung low on his lean hips, dr

aring nothing but one of his dress shirts, her

e, her hands tre

er voice lacking its usual smug

licker of annoyance

s temples. "Wha

opped, unable to repeat Adalynn's words. "She's no

ouring himself a scotch. "It's exhausting. W

nd, already pushing the

r mouth to argue,

mle

phone had not s

unded like

explanation wi

than confronti

st into the hospital room, her f

r arm, and the slight mound under the blanket where he

, A

ze, her own eyes s

e low and even. "He can never know she was born." Sh

k on her face quickly replaced

that bastard or his dragon of a mother use that baby to control you or the trust fund. Not

charge. "You rest. I'm g

don't you worry. He's going to pay

t, Adalynn's

nstagram no

from Carlen

ind Julian's desk, the glittering skyl

lted up in a lo

dalwood bracelet was

read, "A n

tared at

mly, she took

der on her phone and

ng her rejected calls to Julian, the timestamp of he

e murmured to hersel

own phone, saw it at the same time. A low growl e

er tracks. It was quiet, but held a core of steel.

roperty and called it a new chapter. When I'm done with her, her entire story will be

k on her face and

ing Adalynn Craig she

shed past her breaking point and had com

a of the storm that was abo

ady gathering, just t