Aria’s POV “A debt is unnecessary,” I said, and looked away, not wanting to look at him anymore. Looking at him, my heart raced. Would he be saying these things if he knew I was Aria? My feelings for Lucian were overwhelming. His gesture of thanks meant a lot to me, but I was still angry with
Silas sat down in one of the open seats on the other side of the desk. “If I asked you why you want a divorce, would you tell me?” It was hard to talk about, but this was Silas. With him, even difficult topics came easily. Since I lost my father young, Silas sometimes felt like a father figure to
Sheila’s POV “Because of Dr. A’s abilities and her resolve to never give up, Caleb was able to decide for himself whether he wanted the life-extending medicine or not,” Lucian said on the television. “Because of this, she has saved us all from making a grave error…” Lucian continued speaking, bu
Aria’s POV At the hospital, with my mask firmly in place again, I walked with Silas down to the first floor to see him off. We’d talked for a few hours after our conversation about Lucian, speaking about memories of the past as well as some of our more recent medical achievements. Now, unfortuna
Lucian’s POV An ice cold feeling started within me, where my heart was, and stretched outwards along my limbs to the very tips of my fingers and the base of my toes. Aria and Matt used to date. Sick to my stomach, I couldn’t stand the sight of the picture anymore. I tucked it away in my pocket
Matt, especially, deserved better than the quarter of my heart I could maybe offer him. So distracted by my thoughts, I shampooed my hair twice and totally forgot the conditioner. By the time I stepped out of the shower, I had no idea if I was actually clean at all. Sighing, I toweled myself off
Sheila’s POV “Also on hand to give an interview was Dr. A’s mentor, Silas, the current president of the World Healer Association,” the news anchor on the screen said. Sheila hated everything about her. Her hair was overdone and her lipstick wasn’t bright enough. In fact, all of her makeup looked
Lucian’s POV Seeing Aria with Matt triggered a rage that burned inside of me. How many hours did I spend waiting at this door to speak to Aria, and now Matt just happened to cross paths with her first? That frustration, added to the knowledge that these two used to date, had me nearly lose my co
Aria’s POV Walking into the kitchen, I set the money aside and focus on the letter instead. Lucian’s words were crisp and succinct. Aria – This money is your divorce compensation. Please use it to pay your legal fees, or to pay back any loans. Lucian I read through the letter, then read throug
Lucian’s POV Surrounded by an eerie fog, I didn’t know where I was, but it seemed familiar somehow. I tried to focus on my surroundings, and made out the shapes of concrete pillars. Was this a parking garage? Before me was a frightened, faceless girl. Behind her, on the ground, were two unconscio
Aria’s POV The next few days felt like a blur, my hurt persisting even with the passing days. Though, I did my best to continue on as I always had. One morning I found myself standing in the kitchen chatting with Cathy, when I noticed a calendar beside the phone. “That can’t be the date,” I sai
Lucian’s POV “You said you’d be home after work,” Sheila said. “How long did you intend to keep me waiting?” I had told her I was considering coming home tonight, not that I would. That I was here at all should have been reason for celebration, not an excuse to continue to berate me. This type of
Aria’s POV Cathy’s words stayed with me, even after I calmed down enough to think more clearly. As I was no longer bond to Lucian, I truly could go wherever I wanted, but where did I want to go? Needing a minute alone, I excused myself from the worried glances of Cathy and Piper, and retreated in
“How’s the baby?” Cathy asked. “Okay,” I assured her. Cathy nodded. “And you?” I could not answer that as promisingly, so I pressed my lips hard together and remained silent. Cathy and Piper looked at each other. “You’ll feel some side effects of the mutual rejection,” Piper said. “Lucian migh
Aria’s POV I kept watching Lucian until he entered his car and drove off. Even with him gone, I stared at the place he had been, wondering how everything went so wrong so quickly. I was in a state of shock, my hands trembling. “Aria,” Jasper said. With his hand on the small of my back, he gentl
Aria’s POV I stood in stunned silence, my mouth falling open, looking at Lucian, trying to understand what he was saying. While not a divorce, a mutual rejection would end our mating bond. Lucian’s mark on my neck would fade and we’d be free to bond with others instead. For him to suggest such a
Lucian’s POV She called me Lucian. That was the first thought to run through my mind as Aria opened the door for me at Cathy’s house. The second? Why did her face fall so much when she saw it was me, and not Jasper? It was as if the bright light inside of her had been snuffed out. Did I truly pro