Aria’s POVThe next morning, at home, I worried that photo taken of Lucian and Dr. A was going to show up on the news. Coffee in hand, I watched and waited with dread for confirmation that I’d be further pulled into drama regarding Lucian and Sheila.Yet, as I watched, the only time Dr. A seemed to
Jasper’s POVJasper overslept that morning, so he didn’t hear about the latest report on Sheila until he read about it in the morning paper over his eggs and mimosa. It nearly turned his stomach, though not quite enough to stop eating his breakfast.Sheila had to be playing some kind of game. That w
Aria’s POVI’d never met this man before, not even in passing, that I could recall. I had no idea why he held such affection for me, or why he even thought I’d be receptive to the idea of a date.Yet I was so flabbergasted, words failed me for a minute.“Do I know you?” I asked, because maybe I had
One man jumped straight past the courting phase and asked, “Will you be my mate?”“No,” I told him, more firmly than I’d told the others. He didn’t even know me! I’d seen him a few times at a few events I attended as Aria, but even then, I hadn’t spoken more than two words to him at any one time. Wh
Lucian’s POVWith no real rhyme or reason, the sight before me annoyed the hell out of me. Maybe it was because Dr. A reminded me of Aria, or perhaps it was simply that this man was being pushy when he needed to back the hell off. Whatever the reason, my anger was rising at the same rate my patience
Aria’s POVLucian’s intervention in that unwanted proposal seemed to spread around because the amount of suitors showing up for me blessedly declined throughout the day, even after Lucian had left.I returned a few times throughout the day to check on Harold, and though there was never much change,
“You can’t tell anyone,” was the first thing I said.“Oh, Aria…” Julia said, shrinking a little.I didn’t fully understand why she was upset. Had I disappointed her? “I’m sorry,” I started to say.“Don’t you dare apologize,” Julia said. “We are the ones who should say sorry to you.”I startled, not
Lucian’s POVWhen I returned home that evening, after visiting my father once more in the hospital and discovering he had blessedly awoken, I expected to head straight to bed. It was late, after all, with all of the servants gone for the evening.Instead, I found Sheila waiting for me in the living
Lucian’s POV“Of course not,” I said at once, a bitterness rising up within me.Trusting Sheila had been the worst decision of my life. Not only had I been complicit in ruining Travis’s life, but I’d also allowed Sheila to come between Aria and I, enough to help destroy our marriage. I couldn’t blam
Looking past her, I motioned toward Ben, my Beta. “Take her away, Beta. I want her in lockup until the time for a trial can be arrange.”“A trial?” Sheila gasped.“Yes,” I said, looking at her. “You will face punishment for your crimes. I will personally see to that.”“But, Lucian –”“Do not say any
Lucian’s POV“I want the truth, Sheila,” I demanded.The longer Sheila looked at me, the more her wide-eyed nervous gaze shifted into one of fury. “You trust him over me?”“Give me a reason not to.”In the past, I had let my guilt over having introduced Sheila to Travis to fully critique her story.
Lucian’s POVWithout another word, Sheila pushed past Dr. A and her assistant and burst into the hallway.“Sheila!” I called after her, both annoyed and confused by her outburst. Must she act so erratically?I followed her into the hallway, with Dr. A and her assistant in tow.Sheila was halfway to
Lucian’s POVWhile I didn’t agree with Sheila that Aria should be totally forgotten, I could acknowledge, at least to myself, that my clinging onto the past wasn’t healthy. So, after installing a lock on Aria’s old bedroom door, I resolved to keep it locked and not visit it again.Every time I had s
She slammed the door to her room loud enough to echo through the hallways.Sighing, I wondered if I had any hope of detangling myself from Sheila and this guilt without marrying her.At this point, I just didn’t know.Aria’s POVPiper was on break and Cathy was in a different section of the hospital
Lucian’s POVAs I watched, Sheila’s entire demeanor shifted, from happy and curious to increasingly upset and alarmed.“That’s Aria’s room,” she said.“Yes,” I replied, seeing no need to hide it.“Why were you in Aria’s room?”It wasn’t any of her business, but I knew I couldn’t just say that to She
Weak with heartsickness, I peeled back the cover of the diary and began to read a later chapter, from nearer the end of our marriage.Dear Diary,Tomorrow is Lucian’s birthday. While he’s never been much for celebrating, I still want to do something special for him. With hope, maybe this will start
Aria’s POVAt work, Cathy, Piper, and I gather in the office that morning over coffee. At my insistence, Cathy didn’t bring the newspaper with my photo on it, but to my dismay, Piper already had one. I believed she was fully ready to frame it and hang it behind her desk.“You know that my identity i