Aria’s POVI came to check on Harold again, but before going inside of the room, I stood outside taking and reviewing his chart from the holder it had sat in beside the door. The overnight crew had kept a close eye on Harold as I requested, but other than snoring a little, there was nothing to repor
Aria’s POVWhen I arrived home that night, I was absolutely exhausted, both physically and mentally. The entire carried home, I’d planned for this moment when I could finally remove my Dr. A costume, dress down in my pajamas, and then bury my sorrows in a pint of ice cream.Yet I only managed two-th
Cathy tossed aside her jacket and purse, then, rushing towards me, helped guide me into the living room where I sat down on the couch.My first fear was for the baby, but my wolf whispered softly, “I will protect them.”Relief immediately sank through me. With it, I leaned back on the couch and brea
Lucian’s POVI wasn’t sure at first what I was looking at. Even though the book was very clearly labeled diary, I couldn’t fathom that something so personal would be something that Aria would have willingly left behind.She took what she did when she left, but never came back for anything else. I co
Aria’s POV“What do you wear to a divorce ceremony?” I asked Cathy as we both stood outside of my closet, looking in.“Black, right?” Cathy asked.“Funeral attire?” I replied. That didn’t seem right. Although, maybe for a divorce, as this was the end of a chapter of my life, black would be appropria
Aria’s POVThe divorce ceremony was generally simple and short. A reversal of a wedding, each partner was called to give a brief statement in front of the judge. I’d already written mine and carried it on a tiny slip of paper that I now held in my shaky hands.Compared to the devastation of the mutu
I kept remembering the things she had written in her diary about me, about us. She had tried so much to please me. She couldn’t understand why I had always been distant.Seeing her now, I didn’t understand it either. Inside, regret swelled, filling the entirety of my body.Everything was so clear to
Aria’s POVI could feel Lucian’s eyes on me long before I turned and caught him staring. Yet, even caught, he kept his gaze on me. Though his face was expressionless, his eyes were sad and filled with longing. He looked at me deeply, as if he could see straight down to the core of me.Did he know ho
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