Mag-log in“Excuse me,” I said, pulling my arm away from Vivien so I could follow Joanne.“Where are you going?” Vivien asked, following me.“I’ll return in a moment,” I tell her.“You’re going after her?” Vivien accused, her voice trembling. “At our engagement party?”I turned to look at her, my eyes narrowed
Alexander’s POVThis was the last place I wanted to be right now. Vivien hadn’t released my arm for most of the evening. Her nails kept digging into my flesh, imprinting herself on me, and she wouldn’t shut the fuck up.Irritation etched at me, but I forced a smile.This was for appearances. It was
I could hear the light chatter and the orchestrated music before the door was even opened. They were double doors that pushed outward.My breath caught at the sight of the venue. It was gorgeous; I barely recognized it as the ballroom. Decorations hung all over the place, and Vivien’s name was at th
Joanne’s POV“Let me rephrase… anything but that,” I said, pulling away from her.“Oh, come on, Joanne. I’m hurt, and now they are down a servant. I need someone I trust to replace me,” she practically begged.I shook my head.“I plan to be as far away from that party as possible,” I tell her. “I’m
“Perhaps you shouldn’t be marrying a man you have to keep tabs on,” I said before I could think better of it.Now, both her eyes were open, and she was sitting up, a frown marring her face.“What did you just say to me?”My cheeks were burning; I shouldn’t have said that. No doubt it would get back
Joanne’s POV“Vivien requires a bath; why are you just standing around? Are you seriously that useless?” Gemma asked, placing her hands on her rounded hips as she glared at me.I frowned; I was organizing the medical equipment for Dr. Cane, as he had asked, because he had an upcoming surgery. I was
He was surprisingly awake despite the amount of blood he lost and how much pain he must be in. He flinched, though, when I touched his face, like he was afraid of me, and it made my heart ache even more.“It’s okay,” I told him, my voice trembling as I suppressed my tears. “I’m not going to hurt you
“Come,” he said, the order coming out soft, like a whisper. “You need to eat, and you need to rest.”“There’s still work to be done here,” I tell him, my voice soft as well. He reached up and brushed a strand of hair out of my face.“George can handle it from here. It’s time for you to rest,” he to
He stared at me for a moment longer; his eyes searching for something on my face. He was probably trying to figure out if he should believe me or not. I gave him my best innocent smile, and he rolled his eyes, though there was no malice on his face. “It’s only for a few days,” he told me, his ey
Though I didn’t like it, I knew there was no point in arguing with him. Taking my hand, he pulled me along with him. We left the small room and headed back down the corridor. This building was huge, and I suddenly had an eerie feeling. My chest tightened at the thought of being under the same roof a







