th shadowy intent, her lips

xcuse. "During your two-year marriage, she has lived quietly in the shadows as a mere hou

his lips int

had indeed done everything for h

but at the end of it all, wh

his way to the top, and he'd fin

and it wasn't love that secured his pos

ghter, that title alone, was worth f

uscious, red lips against his. "Joshua," she purred, her voice like

down to her, but Alicia's indifferent

r, Alicia hadn't once called h

set with her, she would'v

ithout thinking, he pushed Lilliana back, his voice g

tracted. "Joshua, what's wrong?" she asked

instant. "Of course

studied him. "Then why do

on has worsened. He doesn't have much time left, and Caden returned last night. H

ur father's first marriage? He doesn't even carry the Yates name a

xpression

of the day, he was still

to carve out a name for himself in the Yates family,

r, Joshua was hel

f fatigue still heavy on her limbs. Darkness had alrea

ed around that stranger, his tou

ingering effect of the drug or if

like she was floating on cloud nine,

all from Monica did she snap out of

bout her friend was off. "Your voice sounds all soft and dre

t, trying to shake the f

ang out, hearty and

em to a friend of mine with some serious connection

hter, her mind sharpening. "T

stop obsessing over that jerk. And after the div

head lowering in quiet gr

zation that her feelings for Joshua had never been pure

heavily on her, and in that lonely, stifled

rtured a vague affection

d onto tightly," Alicia murmured. "These last two y

houghtfulness. She knew better than anyone how, o

t love could be a

ve let go for good," Monica

he fought back the urge to cry. Quickly, she pressed he

she noticed som

e stared at

ing she had once held o

and night, and she

ing she'd been carrying beginning to lift. She whispere

.

long for Josh

eyes fell on her hand. His brow furrowed as he as