arted the moment

sharp-Caiden had stumbled home long

earances at their sha

e briefest of nods. Even a single word between them felt like an extravagan

austion washe

iage like this? Staying togethe

gers tightening around her phon

omeone finally picked up. But the voice that dr

tle way, though an icy underto

she inquired in a

e clenched the phone more tightly. It took her a

ght now. I'll tell him to re

tering. When she finally spoke, it came o

t dead with

alk about divorce, but deep down, she kne

lowly and dialed her lawyer's number, ins

s cold ache had

sharper. It was time to end this ma

.

medication and drifted into a

he vaguely sensed the mattress dip, as tho

et achingly familiar emb

hen trailed to her cheeks and finally cl

hadn't felt in so long-so distinctl

as real or just another cruel dream, but her body refused to obey. Dar

morning, her hand instinctively r

eet wa

ips, thin and bitter, as

elt last night had been n

yed cocooned in the blankets for a

way downstairs, the cloc

light carved out the clean lines of his figure, outlining him in quiet serenity. His collar wa

lazily on the edge of the snow-white tablecloth, fingers long and strong, while the other he

cted him to show u

e-tied, unsure how to bridge the di

reta's cheerful voice cut through the quiet. "Good mor

den lifted his he

t-his eyes cool and unreadable-before he looked

ft gold. The morning light caught on his lowered lashes, making him seem

ure carved into stillness, wrapped in

the stairs at a

bsently stirred the porridge

pale light, softening the edges

ken only by the faint clink of silverwar

aiden's voice cut through th

stilled arou

gh a glossy financial magazine. The cover featured a photo of him at the Pear

o marked their third