der. For a second, genuine shock broke through his

the vanity with careless disdain. "The Stark family went bankrupt three years ago. You have absolutely no

pression completely flat. "

You can't even give me a child. You've wasted years of my life,

me to wounding each other with words,

ce dripping with clinical disgust. "I'm afraid any child of y

face instantly d

our team in the morning," Ellie said. She turned on her heel and

crash of Ephram kicking a

Ellie, don't ever crawl back begging

freezing brass handle of the front door, and

ut. Ice pellets whipped across her cheeks, numbing her skin within se

gainst the curb. Her boots skidded on the unplowed snow, and she cau

over. She sat gripping the steering wheel, her breath fogging in the frigid cabin. Her nose

led against the accumulating sleet. At the intersection of 68th Stree

tly beneath her foot. The tires

ont bumper slammed into the back of a

ack, blinking away the dizzying dark spots dancing in her vision. Through the cracke

uckled her seatbelt, and st

in a tailored suit stepped out, inspecting the de

nger door of the Bentley opened. A tall man in a pure

triking features through th

mo J

ared at the sharp, striking features of the

ily that had been shattered by bankruptcy during their time at St. Jude's Prep. No one could have predicted that th

assed since he attended her wedding as Ephram's best man. The aura around Cosmo had only grown colder and sharper. H

voice was deep and magnetic, colder

owered

he was a walking joke in their circle. Standing in front of the man she had secretly known for years, looking li

ding home," Ell

looked back down, his eyes lingered briefly on the faint

s bare. The wedd

e leaving no room for argument. He turned to his driv

you, but I don't need a ride. S

r door of her Volvo, leaned in, and pulled the keys from the ignition, tos

said, his voice flat and laced with a biting edge.

im, humiliated and frustrated, unable to believe he could

is ice-blue eyes locking onto hers. "O

llie finally walked forwa

The howling blizzard vanished instantly