A Substitute Bride for Mr. Voss

st

a long moment, feeling a flicker of something dark and bitter before I ca

t him-every detail exactly as I remembered, but somehow worse. Standing there with that same face that

ve years since he broke me. He was getting married, while I was

nk?" I replied, keeping my voice light and professional. I felt oddly proud of myself f

e'd been my first love, my naive mistake, the boy

is expression annoyingly blank. It was always like that with him-he hid beh

nce you're the planner." He leaned back against the wall, one leg cro

se brown eyes that turned to molten gold in the right light, that sharp jawline that loo

beneath the charm, beneath the loo

tend we were strangers, as if we hadn't once shared everything,

atch, feigning disinterest. "She's missing-at least, I assume that's what an

ened. Finally

ard me, closing the distance until I could smell hi

ack, to give myself space, but he was already too close. His arm came up, bracing against the wal

unshine?" His voice dropped

doing this. He had no right to call me that, to act as if the

, and twisted a loose strand of hair around my

ing my voice drip with mock sweetness. It was

off the wall, taking a step back, creating j

t reach

d have made anyone else run for the hills, but I wasn't anyone els

ng the hem of my dress so I wouldn't trip. The last thing I

while he stood there, unmoved, unbothered. The anger simmered in my chest, but it w

ng business. "If you can't, get in touch with my assistant. I'll arrange to send the guests home." I s

o, but this time, I was the one leaving. I wasn't the one being dragged away, crying and

paused, gripping the knob tightly, debating whether I should even answer. For

I could see the tensio

er in a careless sh

gave me a sick sort of satisfaction. "And I have to say, I'm disappointed in you, Mr. Voss. I thoug

passed them in the hallway. But as soon as I reached the

inst the door, pressing a hand to my

from my ribcage. I hadn't seen Adrian in five years, not s

had healed over time, but it was still there-a permanent reminder of what he'd taken from me. No matte

me, as vivid as if it

ive, and I'd believed he'd protect me. He had a

oing to exact