Lucian’s POV“A person should not continue to be punished forever for the mistakes of their past,” Lucian said into the microphone, while thinking of his own situation.If Sheila could not be forgiven, then what hope did Lucian have with how much he’d hurt her?“Regardless, I would request that you
My stomach twisted. I was going to be sick.Piper moved at once, providing me a trash can. She very generously held my hair back as I lost my breakfast.When I’d finished and was sitting on the floor, Piper said, “I send your patients home.”“No,” I said. “I need to finish everything here. I have to
Aria’s POVWhile I continued to try to wrap up most of my life at home and at the office, preparing for my move, one of my key distractors, day after day, was the presence of Jasper.Every single day after I broke my mating bond with Lucian, Jasper sent flowers to Cathy’s house. Sometimes he would e
“Did he ever tell you what happened between them?”That would require Lucian to talk with me at all. “No.”“Lucian rejected her. Of that much, we’re sure of. Sheila did not take that particularly well and demanded that Lucian find her a new mate. Lucian introduced her to one of his old friends, Brad
Lucian’s POVAs I sat in my work office at home, I was surprised when the head housekeeper walked in unannounced. Even more so when she slapped her resignation down on the desk.“What is this?” I asked, though I could see clearly from the first sentence of the letter that she was resigning.“For yea
Aria’s POVRushing down to emergency, I joined the team who was working on Lucian’s father, Harold. I was surprised when I came through the door to hear him yelling.“I told all of you, I’m fine! I don’t need this special treatment! Find someone who is actually sick and help them!”“Sir, we need you
Lucian’s POVAs soon as I asked the words, I realized it was over the line. While Dr. A and I were cordial, we did not have the kind of relationship that would allow for these kinds of questions. She had just saved my father; I needed to be more respectful.I was just tired, under so much stress wit
Aria’s POVOf all the things he might have come here to talk about, I had not been expecting this.“Your family gathering? At Harold and Julia’s?” I asked.“Typically yes,” Lucian said. “But this time, I will be hosting. Would you be able to go?”I frowned somewhat, confused by this request. Lucian
Over the next few days, I didn’t see Lucian at all. Presumably he saw the kids after I took them to spend time with their grandparents. Harold was out of the hospital and eager to see the kids.With the kids there, I returned to Cathy’s and started packing up my clothes and that of the kids. Cathy w
Aria’s POV“Lucian…”I could tell he was hanging on my every word, nervously anticipating my answer.I hated that I was about to break him. But surely he would understand.“I’m sorry,” I said. “I can’t marry you.” Before he could say anything, and he clearly wanted by how quickly he opened his mouth
Aria’s POVWe all waited with bated breath to see how Harold would handle the medicine. Perhaps I had been too late in providing it? The heart monitor was still beating too quickly. Harold was moaning in pain. The nearby Healers seemed ready to help him along with his passing. Piper and I physically
Aria’s POVAt the hospital, Lucian gave me a final squeeze. “Please help him,” he said.“I’ll do my best,” I promised. Then, breaking away from him, leaving him with Julia in the waiting room, I rushed to the emergency room to see what was going on.Fortunately, one of the nurses lent me a hair-tie
“But the food hasn’t arrived yet,” he said.I couldn’t wait. Feeling like I was going to pass out, I needed out of here.I pushed my chair back and stood. “I’m sorry,” I said.Turning, I hurried away from the table, from the dining room, from the restaurant. I threw the door open and ran outside.Wh
Aria’s POVSilas’s words haunted me long after the phone conversation, and that, combined with my discussion with Cathy and Piper convinced me to at least hear Lucian out. Because of this, when he called me to talk, and asked me to go out on a date with him, I decided to say yes.Now, after dressing
Aria’s POVHow was it, even after all this time, after all this distance, after all the hurt that sat piled up between us – I still so easily fell back into Lucian’s web.I wanted to be stronger, to be harder, and keep up the walls with him, yet every time we’d been around each other, he seemed to s
Aria’s POVMaybe I shouldn’t have been surprised that Lucian finally pieced this together, but the reality of it still hit me like a ton of bricks. I don’t know why I thought he would never find out. There was no reason he wouldn’t, especially with Jasper and Lucian’s own parents already in on the s
Lucian’s POV“It’s not possible,” I said.Mom pressed her lips hard together before asking me slowly, “Are you sure? The boy especially looks just like you.”“A coincidence,” I said. It had to be.Because if it wasn’t, that meant that the night of pleasure I had shared with Aria a few months before