brand on his mind, searing away the last three years of his life. He watched as nurses and staff scurried to obey Olivia' s

his forehead and his arm was in a sling, but he looked more irritated than injured. Olivia swept in

d and took Alex' s good hand

of jewelry, he had designed it himself. The clasp was a miniature, interlocking model of the first building they had ever w

ce, as she gently fastene

through the glass. "Let this pr

s workshop, two years ago, the silver gleaming under the lamplight. Olivia ha

e design with her finger. "It' s a symbol of us, of ever

uld be a permanent part of her, just

as her real husband. It wasn' t just a betrayal, it was a desecration. She had taken something sacred

promises, all of it turned to dust. She hadn' t just broken her vows to him, she had era

deep it felt bottomless. It wasn' t just a breakup

pain, only a vast, cold emptiness. The decision to disappear was no longer about revenge, i

t was never real. He went to his closet and pulled out a small, packed duffel bag from the back. It was his emergency bag, so

He looked around the bedroom one last time, at her side of

her key in the lock. His heart hammered agains

saw him standing by the door with h

e you going

g. It was her assistant. He could hea

t to honor the architects of the new city library, they' re awarding the Gra

yes that momentarily eclipsed her feigned concern for Ale

s soft, persuasive tone as she looked at Ethan. "We' ll be

hospital bed across town. The gala was for a project he had poured his soul into, a project Alex had me