otto, Julian's half-eaten steak, Ava's wine. She maintained the

orner, a physical manifestation of the chill that had settled deep in her soul. She didn't hail a c

she no longer belonged to. Her own reflection stared back-a woman in

lian's name flashed on the screen

lair. Her mother-in-law. The call was not a request, but a

a's voice was like chips of ic

ne wen

gged down a taxi and gave the address of

and older secrets. Diana was waiting in the grand drawing room, a formida

ulder, his head bowed, looking like a chastened school

Diana slapped a piece of paper onto the mar

issed. "Ava nearly went into anaphy

e kept her eyes on Diana. "I didn't fo

t your anniversary dinner? Kaitlynn, I don't care what petty squabbles you have, but

dent..." Julian star

k at him. "You can't even control your own wife. Y

Three years you've been married to my son, and your womb is still empty. Not onl

lt. The topic of children was a

terror. It was the aftermath of her kidnapping years ago, a trauma that left her with cripp

never told Julian, afraid he woul

more venomous. "I don't care what you have to do. I want to see a Sinclair heir within one

ear, brutal

, a desperate, silent plea for

a point on the Persian rug, his silence a dea

weight of her husband's betrayal and her mother-in-law'

ine, pulling the last of her dignity around h

derst

her steps even and measured as she climbed the grand stairc

down the wood paneling to the floor. She wrapped her arms around herself, a

threatening to pull her under. The feeling of b

uldn't be coming t

alone. And her deepest wound had just bec