Betrayed by Love.

onto even after life tried, time and time again, to strip her of certainty. But here she was, thirty floors above the city li

osed to fall in

ruth might somehow change just because she wanted it to. But it hadn't. It never did. The

er. Alexander Carrington wasn't the type of man to unravel. He was married. Powerful. Me

r asked

d to be the

k for permission. It arrived quietly, then spread like wildfire.

n without asking where he'd been. They didn't talk much, not anymore. Talking made it harder. They had said everything in the beginning how wrong it

romised he

ng, hands that held her like she was the only thing keeping him grounded. Maya clung to t

he was the woman tucked away on a quiet street, the

ave ended it

adows anymore. That her feelings were becoming too much. That loving him while knowing he could never truly be hers wa

ould feel it in the way he hesitated before answering her calls.

ing her lips before disappearing as quickly as it came. Before she could talk

ne ran

n t

up-then his voic

ay

secret. Like he wasn't allowed to spea

ng to keep her voice ste

ll," he said softly. "

line un

leaned her head back against

t it?" he asked, voice

ly. I just... I just want

," he co

her eyes. "

t empty. It pulsed with emotion, heavy and

're doing this,

kno

at I want

w that

She bit her lip t

haven't yo

never stopped asking. The que

lowly. "It's

hen sighed, voice softening. "

. Then his voice, barel

urpris

into the cracks of his vulnerability, b

ed instantly.

ou do," she

ya.

ight,

l before he could

ed up at her door unanno

say much. He didn't kiss her. He just stood there, like he didn't know what to do next.

t down, head

her presence quiet, unwavering. After a while, he reac

d her like he was

lowed beside her and the silence returned,

already knew

before

warm where his body had been. It used to hurt when he l

gered. A sick feeling in her gut, li

she got t

She knows. A

the message that broke her, it was the implication. Someone knew. So

and everything he had b

zed again. A

or everyth