ing to spare another glance at the man on the sofa. She rose clumsily and fled upst
self to slump against the back of the door, her strength draining aw
, beautiful fantasy. Now that it had shattered, she n
e simply couldn't be forced. The realization se
g her side of the closet. Without ceremony, she pulled out her cl
d every ounce of herself into their family, her own identity slowly dissolving. Her wardrobe reflected that sa
took to hold everything she ow
'd lived for three years. A pang of bittersweet longing for what could have been pricked at her, but she forced h
aze and pulled her wedding ri
he said, her
y something else: the faint, pale band of skin on her finger, a mark left from how long sh
hard to lose weight just to squeeze into it, a silent pledge of
decisively, Andrew felt an unfam
ze drifted to the suitcase standing behind h
to move out," he said, hi
ha
us lurch. Adelina frowned at him. For one foolish, desperate second, a flicker of
e her silently mock he
xplained, his tone cold and pragmatic. "You can use that time
ched Adelina's lips at his de
. "Since we're getting divorced, a clean break is better
e less chance she'd have to
silence hung between them. "Suit yourself," he s
o say goodby
o leave, Andrew's co
leaving no room for argument. "The doctors said she can't handle
an Harrison's kind,
family who had ever treated her well, and had e
anything, Adelina would hav
plied, her voice regai
d half-expected her to throw a fit, to run crying to his grandmother a
nd pensive, his gaze lingering
like a married couple in
al requirement. "Fine," she murmure
ject. "I'm going to check on
was always a small, desperate hope: if Lucas wanted to come with her, Andrew usually respecte
om just down the hall. She paused,
l awake? Can Mommy c
a feeling of defeat washing over her. Assuming he was already asleep, she was about to leave wh
row? Pleeeease? I'm going to have your fa
leading tone pierc
ouldn't even pinpoint when it had changed, but lately, he'd grown so
then deliberately loosened them. Taking a
needs to talk to yo
, Lucas ended the call with
small bed, and he tu
know how to knoc
elty in his voice twisted in her chest. Her steps falter
hurry. I just wanted to ask
N
nish, his impatience a shield. "Why can't
so unexpected she felt
resentment. "You just spend Dad's money, and you're always nagging me. I'
th her feet. She opened her mouth, a desperate denial on her lips, but Lucas had al
h Emmalyn, the notification icon stil
epped back out of the room and pulled the
a woman determined to leave. As she walked out the front door, she didn't sp
er clean, quiet exit replaying in his mind. A strange, unfamili
sight to buy years ago. It had been her sanctuary after the occasional fight with
it. She barely managed to wash up before collaps
cab to Harrison Group and submitte
loser to Andrew. Now that the marriage
" she asked, her voice direct and prof
Alan Marshall, Andrew
ndrew, wiped a bead of sweat from his temple, not daring to meet h
se of reluctance sett
be told?" she asked, t
r employment was personally approved by Mr. Harrison.
aid quietly, her politene
was debating whether to get coffee when her eyes locked
on in him that stole her breath. His expression, usually a mask of cold stoicism,
reath catch painfully in her throat. The last person she had
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