ing to spare another glance at the man on the sofa. She rose clumsily and fled upst

self to slump against the back of the door, her strength draining aw

, beautiful fantasy. Now that it had shattered, she n

e simply couldn't be forced. The realization se

g her side of the closet. Without ceremony, she pulled out her cl

d every ounce of herself into their family, her own identity slowly dissolving. Her wardrobe reflected that sa

took to hold everything she ow

'd lived for three years. A pang of bittersweet longing for what could have been pricked at her, but she forced h

aze and pulled her wedding ri

he said, her

y something else: the faint, pale band of skin on her finger, a mark left from how long sh

hard to lose weight just to squeeze into it, a silent pledge of

decisively, Andrew felt an unfam

ze drifted to the suitcase standing behind h

to move out," he said, hi

ha

us lurch. Adelina frowned at him. For one foolish, desperate second, a flicker of

e her silently mock he

xplained, his tone cold and pragmatic. "You can use that time

ched Adelina's lips at his de

. "Since we're getting divorced, a clean break is better

e less chance she'd have to

silence hung between them. "Suit yourself," he s

o say goodby

o leave, Andrew's co

leaving no room for argument. "The doctors said she can't handle

an Harrison's kind,

family who had ever treated her well, and had e

anything, Adelina would hav

plied, her voice regai

d half-expected her to throw a fit, to run crying to his grandmother a

nd pensive, his gaze lingering

like a married couple in

al requirement. "Fine," she murmure

ject. "I'm going to check on

was always a small, desperate hope: if Lucas wanted to come with her, Andrew usually respecte

om just down the hall. She paused,

l awake? Can Mommy c

a feeling of defeat washing over her. Assuming he was already asleep, she was about to leave wh

row? Pleeeease? I'm going to have your fa

leading tone pierc

ouldn't even pinpoint when it had changed, but lately, he'd grown so

then deliberately loosened them. Taking a

needs to talk to yo

, Lucas ended the call with

small bed, and he tu

know how to knoc

elty in his voice twisted in her chest. Her steps falter

hurry. I just wanted to ask

N

nish, his impatience a shield. "Why can't

so unexpected she felt

resentment. "You just spend Dad's money, and you're always nagging me. I'

th her feet. She opened her mouth, a desperate denial on her lips, but Lucas had al

h Emmalyn, the notification icon stil

epped back out of the room and pulled the

a woman determined to leave. As she walked out the front door, she didn't sp

er clean, quiet exit replaying in his mind. A strange, unfamili

sight to buy years ago. It had been her sanctuary after the occasional fight with

it. She barely managed to wash up before collaps

cab to Harrison Group and submitte

loser to Andrew. Now that the marriage

" she asked, her voice direct and prof

Alan Marshall, Andrew

ndrew, wiped a bead of sweat from his temple, not daring to meet h

se of reluctance sett

be told?" she asked, t

r employment was personally approved by Mr. Harrison.

aid quietly, her politene

was debating whether to get coffee when her eyes locked

on in him that stole her breath. His expression, usually a mask of cold stoicism,

reath catch painfully in her throat. The last person she had