the silence of his

a peacef

u weren't part of the conversation,

hter, existed in a world that hummed at

ia's day at the high-end real

er, her eyes already dri

Chloe ab

tention fixed on a tablet, ofte

furniture: solid, present, but ultimately

he phone cut through

ked it up

s from Northwood Elementary. Chloe

d. "Is she okay

e' s asking for her mother. We' ve called Mrs. Hay

was probably in an

s workshop, usually a place of calm creation, felt

s. Chloe was on a small cot, her face

t beside her, t

e she' d stepped from a magazine cover, her

er was Jul

harming, always present. He smiled, a flash of white teeth, his arm ligh

y to talk to Olivia,

walked right past him

raight to Ch

her voice full of concern Ethan

on a mask of sympathy. "Hey th

loe, honey, Daddy's her

ut to touch

urning her tear-staine

ying her head against Julian' s exp

c, landed like a physical blow. E

looked at Ethan

er permission slip for the indoor gym activities today, Eth

distinctly remembered placing it on the kitchen cou

get to school," Olivia snapped, her

n his throat. She woul

Olivia' s arm, a ge

nts happen. The important

something unreadable in his eyes.

poken "your best isn't good enough." It subtly reinforced Ol

t Dr. Peterson's," Olivia announced

e into his arms. "I'll carry her

t him, a small, conte

Olivia, Chloe, an

le-smelling clinic, the echo of Chloe' s

der, even in hi

mpty house, the silenc

k, as it often did,

l Midwestern town, good with h

heiress to the Hayes fortune. T

been at a Hayes family charity event, a token invitation due to his late father. His father, a firefighter,

n there, beaut

ove, had just left for a pres

asn't established enough, didn't have the "right" pedigree for a Hayes. They'd made their disapproval clear, subtly and not so su

e charity gala, O

uch, her grief

orner of the vast Hayes garden, mur

nces and perhaps feeling a pang of guilt over

h an undertone of something else. "Olivia is... unwell. Could

heartbroken heiress.