. It was done. He had won. He had successfully navigated a potentially messy situati

e feel a gna

pleading texts. He had a whole script in his head for how he would handle her inev

A vast, echoing silence wh

wouldn't last. She had no money, no job prospects to speak of. Her little "hobby"

s. He spoke to a couple of old contacts w

ight be looking for work. She' s a sweet girl, but a bit unstable after th

ary. He had to control all the variables. He had to ensure s

entarily quieted by his own cleverness. He had clos

Are you

r now-larger belly. She was his wife. The mother of his legit

, forcing a smile. "J

his neck. Her perfume was too sweet, not like Ava' s subtle, clean

iam said, pat

silence was back. He found himself listening for the soft sound of her breathing, the

are you thinking about?" she ask

t Sarah was insecure, cons

e lied. "A new

murmured, snuggling closer. "W

e he had engineered. A beautiful wife, a healthy

arger in her absence than she ever had in her presence? He pushed the thought away. It