ly ever Fiona's stand-in.

t familiar flicker of

ly smirked. "How conv

was icy, utt

a glint of danger flash

dry, indifferent. "I don'

ness from his expre

ays lived in the shadows. Maybe I'm twisted deep down. I want everything Fio

hat's hers and watching her break. That gets to you, doesn't it? She suffers, you ache-a

forward. "You includ

en if she kept going-that he mig

didn't b

ring? If this was how it had to be,

stormy gaze, re

guts, Ethan, d

ts were clenched so

Fiona risk her health for a baby, could you? But now, this child will always

a lazy, mo

ought he knew was now all sharp edg

out a co

no one had ever dared

pt C

ice was a razor

eplied, utte

han gritted out, fur

request-it w

ally began to

the las

out and closed a

seemed ready to splinter. Ever

cause she could

er his grip, the pressur

truly believed h

ol like that, something dee

ned locked on hers. "Clara, do y

red glass. Then, without hesitation, she ad

stopp

he'd burned him, sending Clara stu

her breath, to claw her way

pat, rage still bo

soon as you cancel the order, I'll g

to the rehab center

erred. Her surgery would proceed

that did Clara allo

-this round

about t

as though she were carrying the

For her mother's sake, no matter ho

ood." The earlier fire

her tone was cold-none of her pa

nothing more th

de something in Ethan's

motions rage

ted anymore. The woman before h

d always watched him cautiously

showed in every glance, it was

when he had started

ties with Fiona that kept him

nnounced she was leaving the cou

ho had always lingered in the

t as before, but something had sh

Fiona, Ethan married Clar

marriage, Clara stayed close t

She called him "hubby" so soft

re he tested her limi

hose feelings like flipping a switch-a

e rehab center to see my mother," Clara

ast him, cal

trong hand pulled her back, and E

me go!" Clara frowne

call me?" His voice

led, caugh

parted

ou are my wife. Don't address me

ldn't bear to hear it

ght... hubby. You're hurting me

e was flat,

tell. Of cou

never l

a tonight," his

ned, thinking aloud.

n's express

ab center," Clara stated clearly. "After what happened today, her e

clarity. "If anything happe

t the threat behind her