the untouched dinner on

e ye

t, and the silence in their Manhattan

merger of Hayes Industries' Chicago power an

riage bed r

ays polite, a

n their g

, her college roommate and suppo

tion, now curdling i

to be a reprieve, but the air

anicured lawns, feeli

om the pool house,

and

to," Ethan' s voice cracked. "To get Grandm

else could we do? The scandal... it would destroy t

aw anguish. "Marrying Olivia was your idea to protect us! How

s breath

orld

was a sh

han by the ocean, s

a mask of indifference

via' s voice was

t flinc

tion beyond the brutal

life, her love, felt

ivia called her lawy

t a di

e surprisingl

one rang. It was Eth

dney failure. She needs a

a strange,

ents' Chicago home, wh

en, truly brok

match, Olivia. The only one o

at Ethan Vanderbilt, on

. "Anything? Would you finall

ted and desper

out a flicker of hes

ute, so transactional when it came to Olivia, wa

ned the co

ery was

Ch

groggy, a dull

nd impersonal, with a card s

Chloe is doing we

ow recovery,

bedside, a constan

-fed Chl

to her

his thumb caress

painful walk down the hall, or caught g

a universe away from the cool cou

visited Olivia' s room, l

ow how to thank you.

eyes only for Chloe,

Chloe on the phone wit

rong. And she' d do anything for you,

low murmur, but the i

antity, her love a gi

returned to the M

ere on her coffee ta

for a fresh shirt. He was going back

then resolute. He walk

th

sto

Olivia said, her voi

s expression unreadab

k, a small, hollow

. A sick joke. I don'

ed confusion, the

tinued, picking up the papers

t the divor

en back to her, relief washing over his feat

uttered, taking t

e buzzed

her," he said, scribb

glance at what

one, the click of the door e

ed at the s

even re

se of lightne

as d

was