ly

autiful bed, staring at the ceiling, Tony's w

u stopped being the victim an

ith the wrong man and paid the price for it. I still loved Alex, God help me. Ev

hetic w

offee and reading the financial news on his tablet. He lo

ke hell," he

know how to make a

fee without asking. "Did

warm mug, needing something to

nd

plete stranger for revenge against a man who.

o w

he confession came ou

ck in his chair. "After everything he

e hurts you. I wish it did. God, I wish it

e going to

here, Tony. There'

erlooking his garden. "My father used to tell me that the only thing wors

I am

n't fight back. Broken people don't run. You're not broken, L

rely knew me but seemed to see s

ords tumbling out before I could sto

ha

ivorced. I can't marry you while

harp as a blade. "

:

. Tony sat across from me in his study, silentl

?" Alex's voice w

t a di

n a sound that might have been laughter

o sign the p

ting tired of waiting for y

rced my voice to stay steady. "Can we meet at yo

o'clock.

ha

. You're walking away with no

down and looked at Tony, who was w

u o

ut I w

::

d leather and broken dreams. Alex was already there when I arrived, sitting next to a woman I

eyes. Surprise, maybe? I had dressed carefully for this meeting, wearing one of the d

pping with sarcasm. "Look who cleaned

I sat down across from hi

on." He turned to his lawyer. "Let's get t

re you both understand what's happening here. Mrs. Williams, you're agreeing to a no-contest

children," I

even manage to do that

need to advise you that these comment

rupted. "I just want

ugh the divorce decree, seeing my seven-year marriage reduced t

"Sign on the dotted lines and we

my hand was shaking so ba

was mocking. "Finally realizing what a

, ple

rd, his voice dropping to a vicious whisper. "You were never good enough for me, Lily. Not pretty enough, no

't hear him over the roaring in my ears. This was Alex. The man I had love

troying me one

signing my name on the first lin

, some h

"I wasn't smart enough to

was the best thing tha

ne. "I wasn't woman e

ght you

looked at him. At the man who had been my wor

ha

that woma

t have changed, because h

certain. "Maybe the next guy won't

Good luck with Sarah. I hope she

y has. She's everythi

r, then stopped and

ha

odb

Behind me, I could hear Alex saying something to

::

e tears came like a dam bursting, five years of pain and hu

and let me cry. He drove us back to his mansion i

e pulled into his driveway.

a mess. Yo

oken sob. "How stupid is that? After everythin

Lily. Misplaced, may

ll myself together. "I need t

ave to decid

with shaking hands. "I need to do

for a long moment,

was sitting right next to me. It fel

he answered,

lliams. I've made my decisi

nd

, about the way he'd looked at me like I was nothing. A

y. I'll m

you s

. When do

and beautiful at the same

mor

ng time. Especially when

d strange even to my own

This man who was offering me a chance to rebuild my life, to

back now

"Welcome to the beginning of

Mrs. Stark. It had a nice ring to it. And for the first tim