Chapter6
Only today did I finally understand.
Miles Prescott reached over, giving my cheek a playful pinch. His smile looked easy, but a shadow of sorrow lingered in his eyes.
“You’ve lost so much weight, my little fighter.”
When I was a child, an orphan with no one to shield me, the cruel kids at school picked on me relentlessly. But I never backed down. I fought with everything I had, even on my own.
Once, I bit a boy so hard on the ear and arm that both bled. Miles had laughed, saying I was like a scrawny stray with claws, small but vicious‘.
The memory made me chuckle, but the movement tugged my stitches. Pain ripped through me, stealing my breath.
Miles’s smile vanished. He caught my hand, brows furrowing.
“Your injuries are severe. The kidney rupture was bad. The transplant hasn’t fully taken‘ -you have to be careful.”
My eyes widened. My hand drifted instinctively to my side, where the dull ache pulsed.
“A transplant? Whose?”
He pressed his lips together, his gaze sliding away.
I yanked his wrist, dragging him closer. In one swift move, I lifted his sweater. My stomach lurched at the sight of thick bandages swathing his waist.
Tears burned instantly. My voice came out broken.
“You called me an idiot, but you‘ re the fool. You shouldn’t have-”
He ruffled my hair, smiling gently.
“Don’t cry, scrappy kitten. You‘ ve grown softer now‘.” His tone softened, warm. “I chose this. I‘ d do it again.”
Meanwhile, at Sterling Estate, Ethan stirred awake in the master bedroom. By instinct, his arm curled tighter around the woman beside him. Sweet perfume filled his senses, and his voice came out low, husky.
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“Vivian… you changed your shampoo…”
Sloane stiffened. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she turned her face toward him.
“Ethan–it’s me.‘
})
Her fragile gaze jolted him awake. The tenderness of the moment evaporated in an instant.
He rubbed his temples, irritation bubbling up.
“Sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
Lately, he dreamed of Vivian Hart every night.
In the dreams, she stood across the street, her figure cold, her stare stripped of all warmth. He always jolted awake convinced it was an illusion–that she was still there, beside him.
But from the moment she disappeared into oncoming traffic, he hadn’t seen her again.
He had unleashed every resource at his disposal–his men, even old contacts from his past life in
the underworld. Still, there was nothing.
Vivian Hart had disappeared as if the earth had swallowed her whole.
Now, sitting in his office at Sterling Tower, Ethan listened to his men report back with the same
useless words. No progress.
His rage snapped. He grabbed the porcelain–and–gold ashtray from his desk and hurled it.
“Useless trash! Get out!”
The guards bolted, sweat dripping down their temples.
Only Derek Lane lingered, sneering faintly.
“Why waste time searching for her, Mr. Sterling? You already have Miss Quinn. She’s gentle,
understanding–a thousand times better than that jealous, venomous Vivian Hart.”
He smirked. “Besides, after all this time with no trace, maybe she’s already dead somewhere, her
body picked over by wild animals‘
–
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The black muzzle of a pistol pressed against his forehead. His body locked up, the color draining
from his face.
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“Shut. Up.”
Ethan’s gaze was ice.
“Vivian won’t die. She promised me she’d be with me for life.”
His finger flexed on the trigger.
“If I hear you insult her again, your body will be shark bait before nightfall.”
“Yes–yes, Mr. Sterling. I won‘ t. I swear.”
Derek’s knees nearly gave out as he stammered, his voice trembling.
Chapter6
