na's

foyer light flood

below me-the three of them, a perfect picture of a happy fami

antly. "Serena? What are you doing standing th

y. In my own home, on the night he forgot o

so sorry, we're back so late. Are you angry? I didn't know today was..." S

s no guilt in her eyes, only a flicker of annoyanc

y Xavier instinctively shielded Savannah

he corners of my mouth into a smile that felt more lik

, Serena!" Xavier's voice, sha

r. The click of the bolt was the most

wood, Mia's voic

. I don't want her! I wa

untie was

ey found my heart, twisted, and then

down until I was sitting on the cold floo

st five years played out in my mi

o give up my career for our family. The endle

apped into the phone, "Serena, be reasonable. Savannah needs me r

ate the entire house. Xavier returned from a European vacation with S

e just cares deeply for his family. I had conv

er part of his "family." I was just a co

nd walked back to the desk. The study hadn't changed

l to

ed glow, I pulled a single, clean sheet of A4 p

he page, I wrote three words, my hand

E AGRE

, irrevocable line under the f

ved on its own-down to the bottom drawer of th

k blue velvet, lay a s

n family would ever expect to find