YS

ONTH

colder in the se

he cracked window, or maybe it was just

e cared about me. No one even came to check on me, except Merilyn, one of the maids. Sweet

she'd tell my parents, but I begged her not to. I didn't want the

rek - no one picked up. It was like I'd died

ore. My eyes were dull, my lips cracked, skin pale and hollow. I'd lost

someone who'

cking the calendar every single day, and according to what

'd be happy about h

, Cry

plate on the floor beside my bed - cold rice, some bre

get from the leftov

oug

looked f

ctor," she murmured,

My fingers drifted to my stomach. "I

, almost afraid of the

brother. Even if he hated me, maybe h

aden." Merilyn said, and my

g inside

thought I hadn

t still on

say?" I croaked,

"He went to see Jaden. He came back

left m

was

ck for three

't come to

For a second, I thought I might faint, but instead

ack..." I

about not reaching out to me since he returned. But t

n weeks, I felt my heart beat

feet hit the ground as

his face when he saw what I'd endured, the way his arms would

d me. That everything w

se our baby together,

ling hand over my

one," I whispered

trance of the Astor estate, m

ence, catching my breath,

re

de

I'd never

ething out of a magazine, her dress hugging every perfect cu

n Jaden

ually

around her waist,

ce toward him, smiling,

t th

nt of

ont o

nt of

art s

pulse roared in my e

e fence so hard the spl

ldn't

o

This wasn't the man

pposed to

romi

the world melted into

t would fix what I'd just seen. "

appy. Genui

ey

me. I turned sharply with a gasp and came

e I was something filthy

What are you doing here

ords through the lump in my thr

Jaden's fiancée. They're getting married next week. Everyone knows th

liced clean

an

rr

t w

ground bene

realize I was crying - unt

al. "You should really leave. You're not want

t Jaden, still laughi

ed until I could

ed to

him, to slap him, and beg hi

. My heart wouldn't stop break

ispering to no one.

impatiently. "

inside m

n faster than I

hed the door, I co

so much I thought my

small life inside me. "I'm so

tle as dizziness washed over me. My mind was already made up. Ther

d used when they threw me out of the main house. There was

he chair one time; I took it, wrap

g back one last time before

prison, my puni

was leaving

posed to destro

then it wasn'