pet's faded pattern as Adrian stood outside the bedroom door, his

his study. Or ba

wn footsteps carrying h

s ago in that warehouse. He had seen her like that before. In the first days after her rescue, he had held her thro

she had n

ded him now.

ho could reach her. Mira could try to move forward-she had been making progress, the doctors had said so

ad once loved-the one she had decorated herself, the

over the handle. Rel

kno

oor o

the dark, half-dried trail across his forehead, and her pupils c

drian-what ha

he medical kit. She was wearing a pale pink silk nightgown th

cotton. Her touch was light. Her lashes were lowered. Her lips were pre

his. Not even particularly gentle. Just... not pulling

d his forehead as she wound gauze around his head. The n

ould

nger of three years of rejection. But the thought barely surfaced before it cur

way and caught her w

cted that reaction. But then she smiled-

ftly. "Just don't g

thout looking a

door clicked shut behind him, and through it, h

ning to his footsteps fade down the corrid

hosen it carefully. When she had leaned in, she had held her br

dy. She knew me

ooking for conversation. She had spent three months playing the fragil

had held

holding back for. She just didn't understand what that broken, defective Luna had tha

'Next time, I won't give

d cotton balls-and something glinted

an wear it once. She had asked, casually, and he had said, "Birthd

to the light. T

h the warm bedside lamp glowing in the background. She framed the shot carefully-in

tion wa

ected

witched to three alt acc

t, isn't that Alpha

it in the bedroom?? What's

lucky ? Some of us could

he screen and ki

Silver Ridge Pack wou

rters, two years of ledger spread across her desk. She was tracing large expendi

was cra

. Then laughter-Ivy's voice, sweet

ey were just there on my desk this mornin

looke

bouquet in one hand and her left wrist lifted high, flashing a sil

pen s

It's beautiful," she had said. "The inscription means 'one and only love' or something like that." The next day, Adrian had taken he

moment had

as on Iv

edger. Stood. Pus

esterday. Why isn't it done yet? Adri

catching the light with every gesture. The intern's he

didn't match. I spent three hours redoing it, but some sections I don't

sweet whine laced with impatience. "Do I have to hold your hand

ly, do you h

ay went d

loud. But it cut through

es lit up-like a drowning woman spotting shore. Ivy's smile f

ike she was tasting it. "What a pleasant

o the secretarial station, pausing beside Ivy just l

her. "Isn't it? And th

love," Mira fi

smiled wider. "Oh,

er on screen-broken formatting, mismatched data, a comments section crowded w

he original dra

ek. She said she'd done most of it and just needed me to

dripping with theatrical regret. "I've been so tired lately. Th

one nodded. No one shook their head either. The sen

and took on her unfinished work, where they covered for her incompetence while she took the credit. Mira glanced at the overtime log on

name appeared in an

essing the room at large, "

king at Ivy wh

y Jewelers. Order twenty of the same silver-and-sapphire bracelet. Cab

dinner tonight. La Maison, seven o'clock. Everyo

hung

held it

d. A small, shaky thi

s, not applause. Just the quiet, tear-bright

y, she tilted her head just slightly,

wrist? Consider

mile sh

ion that had been orbiting her dissolved, scattering toward dinner plans and jewelry catalogs an

dn't lo

e finance office a

ledger summary to Elena,

u get t

worse than I thought. Under standard divorce proceedings, you'd

the non-stan

intervenes, that prenup could be ruled as coercion.

ed against the desk.

doesn't always attend, but if you request

ht not

But if you're not in that room,

welry display glinted in the afternoon sun-the same

nder Mira Sterling . D

et the phone face

ht line across the

She had