Scorned Wife, Now Craved by the Tyrant Don

R

ness. With no time to untangle the chaos of the p

ing during the

knew this wasn't the time. Benjamin was dead. He was James's brother, and as his

te evening. The entire household was steeped

ght of Benjamin Davis

en one of the few-besides Grandfather Arthur-who had never looked at me with d

as gone.

h sorrow and dread. Everyone knew what Benjamin meant to my mother-in-law, Abigail

g condolences. The sudden death of her firstborn had struck the proud woman hard. She'd m

we're late,

ite all my terrible history with this woman, my he

ard Ava. There was an eagerness in his s

for your loss,

washed over me. How could I have suspected this poor woman

th

ned into each other just a fraction too long, t

d through me ag

t really been

red the crowd around them

as when it hit me-the perfume she wore. It was the same scent tha

ore than accidental contact with som

ease coiled in

Benjamin's funeral. Out of respect for h

, standing quietly beside her. I be

ning, he sh

ard, feigning concern-and in her flurry of movement, her ar

ttered again

pped when I

's favorite vase,

red toward my

fury, rushed towards us and hurled the hot tea

chaos froze

naive instant, I almost believed he was c

ms wrapped around Ava as she crumpled

d

es to my face, the heat of the tea still radiating against my skin. Bu

y fists, gla

ryone. Whatever I had or hadn't seen last night, this moment confirm

ed, James released Ava and approac

a bitter laugh escaping me. "O

d. "I just... Av

n? One has been dead weight on your brother since the day she married him! The othe

va isn't dead weight. She gave Benjamin a so

eak it! It w

d enough embarrassment. Do you really want to keep making a scene at my bro

nly so foreign. How could he? After blatantly choosi

an that mu

at had been forming since la

is. I want