“Mom,” he asked, his voice deadly quiet. “The money you gave Elara… it wasn’t just to leave, was it? It was a threat. You forced her to get rid of my baby, didn’t
you?”
Mrs. Vance’s face was chalk white. She opened her mouth to lie, but her eyes
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Chapter 2
met mine, and the words died on her lips.
A horrifying realization dawned on Julian’s face. He whirled around and seized Melissa, who had been watching from the sidelines.
“Tell me the truth! Where did you get those photos?”
Melissa blanched. “I… I told you, Julian. I found them in Elara’s closet.”
“Her closet?” Julian’s eyes narrowed. “Why were you in her room?” When Melissa stammered, unable to answer, he pressed on. “Tell me this, then. What was in her closet? More dresses, or more pants?”
Melissa’s eyes darted around nervously. “It was seven years ago! How could I possibly remember?” she cried. But faced with Julian’s murderous glare, she stammered, “D–dresses, I think. Probably more dresses.”
A wild, broken laugh erupted from Julian’s chest. Melissa thought she’d guessed correctly and a tiny smile touched her lips, but it was wiped away by the stingi- ng slap of Julian’s hand across her face.
“Her closet was empty!” he roared, his voice thick with agony.
He explained, his words choked with tears, that after I had gotten pregnant, we decided to turn my old bedroom into a nursery. All of my belongings had been moved into his room, our future master bedroom, weeks before the engagement party. My old closet had been completely bare.
The truth finally, irrevocably, crashed down upon him. For the first time in his life, the proud, arrogant Julian Vance fell to his knees. He begged me to forgive him, begged me to come back, pleaded with me to divorce Adrian, promising he wo- uld raise Lily as if she were his own.
I took a slow step back.
“Julian,” I said, my voice gentle but firm, “what we had ended seven years ago.
Chapter 2
06 39
No one waits forever. I have my own life now. Please, do not disturb my family
again.”
I turned my back on him and walked away. Behind me, I could hear the sound of a man’s soul completely breaking. I felt no pity.
To make the point clear, I raised my voice slightly, a playful lilt in my tone as i leaned into my husband. “Adrian, darling, I’m craving that chicken piccata you
make.”
He smiled down at me. “Of course.”
Lily, holding his other hand, bounced on her toes. “And I want McDonald’s!”
“Alright, sweetie,” Adrian chuckled. “But just this once.”
As we walked away, the sound of Julian’s weeping faded into the noise of the city, until it was gone completely.
06 39 2
Chapter:
No one waits forever. I have my own life now. Please, do not disturb my family
again.”
I turned my back on him and walked away. Behind me, I could hear the sound of
a man’s soul completely breaking. I felt no pity.
To make the point clear, I raised my voice slightly, a playful lilt in my tone as I
leaned into my husband. “Adrian, darling, I’m craving that chicken ccata you
make.”
He smiled down at me. “Of course.”
Lily, holding his other hand, bounced on her toes. “And I want McDonald’s!”
“Alright, sweetie,” Adrian chuckled. “But just this once.”
As we walked away, the sound of Julian’s weeping faded into the noise of the
city, until it was gone completely.
