operating room door glow
right knuckles was stark white as he clenched his fist. Amelie's bl
she fell, echoed in his mind. A restless,
anic. She rushed to his side, her face streaked with
the operating room door. "She tried to kill
clutched his arm, her sobs escalating. "It's all my fault... I shouldn't
tion away from Amelie's suicide a
rief. "I asked the groundskeeper... He said... he said he saw her that day. He saw her put th
ent, theatrical sobs. This lie was a hundred times more venomous than "s
rage and revulsion so profound it was nauseating. Any last, lingering shred of complexity
by a chilling certainty. "A woman like that," he sa
A formidable older woman with an air of immen
now?" It was his aunt, Rowena Slater. She saw the b
uous sneer on her face. "She's a disgrace to the Slater name.
wena, who gave her a nod of approva
s is the famous Beaumont girl who had Jonas wrappe
quiet," Ro
rgeon emerged. "We saved her, but she lost a
d, his face
urgeon. "Move her to a standard room. No
face as white as the sheets
ed forward. Without warning, she slappe
lent hallway. A red welt immedia
spat. "Trying to gain sympath
id nothing. His sil
y gleam in them as he looked at
ed, a small, hidden smile playing on her lips.
the end of a deserted wing. No nurs
in. Her throat was parched. She tried to re
her room c
, whistling softly. He lo
sity. "Cousin-in-law," he purred, deliberately using the intimate t
ce. She was too weak to even sit up
the pillow next to her head, the o
moke and whiskey as they traced the line of Ame
turned her head away, her vo
as doesn't want you, but I do. I promise I'll treat you much better than he
mbs felt like lead, devoid of strength. All she could do was
ying scent of his cologne mixin
ch hers, the door to the room expl
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