once bought out an entire flower shop because she'd casually mentioned she liked peonies. He'd given her a diamond necklace so heavy she rarel

way. They were unproducti

l mask, Adalynn felt like a spy in her own life. Sloane drove her to the hospital,

n she s

so impossibly small, a tiny bird in a nest of wires and tubes. A feeding tube was taped to her cheek, monitors were st

ear of sadness. It was a tear of overwhelming, ferocious love. She felt a surge of guilt-that her stress, her he

as close as she could get. "Hi, Lily," s

ortress so strong that no one can ever hurt you. I will get back everything he took from us, and more. And when you're old enough

but it solidified her purpose. Revenge wa

y passed two nursing assistants on a break. One of them w

p-baseball cap, sunglasses, mask. Could have been the mom, I guess. Still no sign of the dad. Makes you wonder, does

child's legitimacy. They were pitying her, judging her, all because of Julian's absence. His betray

n toward the women, but Adalynn grabbed her arm, her

rday. With another woman. He asked about Mrs. Craig, and then said he didn't know her. Can you imagine? Your wife nearly di

ut her. And then he had denied her. In front of witnesses. The story was no longer just private gos

n toward the women, but Adalynn grabbed her arm, her

the

and tight. "And I know who's responsible. Not them. Him.

ard conversation heavy between them. As they reached Sloane's ca

or opened, and

roat. She instinctively ducked her

m the passenger sid

arlene was saying, her voice petulant.

t month. Let's just get it over with," Juli

ogne. His gaze swept over her for a fraction of a second, completely blank. There was no recog

anding two feet away from him, her body still aching from the surgery tha

, irrational hope that he might somehow recognize her, might somehow prove he wasn't the monster she knew he was-fina

ring voices fading away. Adalynn stood rooted to the spo

ace, and the society pages had gushed about his devotion to his pregnant wife. She never received the n

erself. "Not once. I thought it was because he wasn't the roman

ane's voice

nto the car. She stared straight

inside, a fire was raging, burning away th