The Woman He Thought He Broke

e, bewildered, Chloe sti

' t lo

ary place, talking to lawyers, and trying to breath

first, angry. Then plea

lls, truly acknowledged the de

," "bad judgment," "Chlo

at he had shown me exac

to get some important papers I' d forgotten. My lawyer said

old key, the silence o

heard

ter bedroom. Chloe'

fr

ought had hardened i

t have bee

wards the partially

. Ethan and Chl

sing, a deep, lingering kiss. C

al detachment

t pain anymore. It wa

g. "Oh, Ethan, you' re so

ance towards the door as if sh

, pulling her back. "She wouldn't

ouldn

f the closet, still half-ful

er drab things out of here?" Chloe whined, p

"Can I use this space? My

t, a flicker of something –

Chloe... it' s

l the loyalty he had left for me.

g. It was a practiced look, one I wa

not fair I have to live in a shoebox when there' s all this empty space. Aft

he manipulation

course, you' re right. I owe everything to your family' s generosi

hat familiar insecurity, th

ck from the

cuments I' d come for from the antique secretary desk – a

room a few minutes later, Chloe clin

er eyes widened

we didn' t he

ered. "Ava. What a

ven. I held up the folder. "And it looks l

ed to Chloe, th

d the gall to

" he said, as if granting me a favor. He

such

ive gesture. "Chloe was just helping me sort through some

ost l

his side. "Don' t

the physical manifestation of

emotional. My

ed to

need," I said,

was utterly alone in this. Relying on Ethan for any

heard Ethan' s voice, sof

d her, Chloe. It was always

ysical force, even though

on the doork

ore. That had happened at

hing colder, d

nge, cold clarity s

ut, not lo

ing, the naus

my d

preg

ed shortly before that d

n' s

was a bi

near my temporary apart

Ethan and Chloe, at a

. Holdin

Ethan a piece of h

aw me standing

ng. Annoyance? Guilt? I

note of concern in his voice.

d with Ethan' s, and brought his fingers to her lips, kissing them slowly. A diamond ring, one

on. "Ethan got the Henderson account finalized. It' s a huge wi

en looked back at me. "

e with him. "Well, we sho

me, Chloe on his arm,

were a s

as carrying, his b

s it d

vacant table, my

baby. And I wouldn't tel

ould be mine

on. Not

, I started

to E

ister,

ancial investigator

d out exactly who

e Ethan Carter understood t

a career. He was about to f

s

han called. I' d unb

s next month. The one where I' m

been so proud whe

e," he continued. "You know, for appearances. People

. The a

y, Ethan,

rking. Chloe' s working. She' s work

he blindness. It

ung