LOGINJulian's eyes darted away. He glanced at Nancy almost involuntarily, then rushed to explain himself. "I wasn't ignoring it. I just hadn't gotten the chance to say anything yet. You walked in before I could."That only made Christian laugh, though there was nothing funny about it. "Hadn't gotten the chance? Or just didn't want to bother?"Julian's temper flared. "What are you trying to say, Chris? What exactly is your point?"Christian didn't answer him. Instead, he turned to look at Nancy, and in one swift motion, he pulled her into his arms.Then he looked back at Julian. His gaze was glacial, and his voice dripped with contempt. "That's my point."Julian opened his mouth, but Christian cut him off before he could get a single word out. "You don't even have the right to stand in front of her anymore. You never deserved to."Something shifted in Julian. The anger drained from his face, replaced by an unsettling calm. "If you really care about her, then treat her like she matters
Christian waited outside the door for what felt like an eternity, but not once did he hear Julian speak up in Nancy's defense.Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He kicked the door open.The violent crash silenced the entire room. Everyone inside froze, startled by the sudden intrusion, and when they turned to see who was standing in the doorway, a wave of collective guilt rippled through them.Nancy could sense the rage radiating off Christian in waves. She instinctively reached for his arm, hoping to keep him from causing a scene.But he didn't storm inside the way she'd expected. He didn't flip the table or start throwing punches. He just stood in the doorway, his face carved from stone, not a trace of warmth anywhere on it.He wasn't shouting, but the cold fury rolling off him was impossible to miss. Everyone in the room could feel it settling over them like frost.When he finally stepped inside, he caught Nancy's hand and laced his fingers through hers. They walked in tog
Quentin had been watching Christian's side the whole time, so the instant Nancy looked his way, he caught it."Ms. York, staring at me like that might give Mr. Lane the wrong idea."The bluntness of his words rattled Nancy. She panicked for a split second and quickly looked away.Christian turned and glanced at her, but all he saw was Nancy gazing out the opposite window. When he looked back at Quentin, he couldn't help but sneer. "Mr. Henderson, you really do have an overactive imagination."Quentin smiled at him. "Whether it's my imagination or not, you'd have to ask Ms. York."The light turned green. Christian didn't bother responding. He simply hit the gas and pulled away.Quentin was still waiting for the left-turn signal.As he rolled his window back up, he studied Talia's expression. She looked completely unbothered, not a ripple of emotion on her face. He couldn't help but smile.Talia heard the quiet laugh. "What's so funny?""Nothing," Quentin said. "I'm just happy."
The thought brought a fresh sting to Talia's eyes, and before she could stop it, they were brimming again. Quentin saw the tears and immediately assumed his little tough-guy act had upset her.He grabbed her hand in a panic. "Talia, okay, I admit it. That was stupid of me, trying to act all brave in front of you. But come on, what guy isn't scared of his wife's older brother?"That startled a laugh out of her.The sound of it visibly relaxed him. He pulled her into his arms and softly said, "You must've been worried sick."Talia pressed her cheek against his chest. "Not really."His voice rumbled low near her ear. "I heard you went to see Christian last night. I'm guessing that didn't go well."Talia smiled bitterly. "I'm used to it."Quentin's arms tightened around her, and his voice turned dead serious. "No matter what happens from now on, don't ever go to him again. He's not worth it."Talia nodded, her voice catching. "Okay. I'll remember."He held her a while longer, clea
Talia still wasn't divorced. She had no right to let herself feel anything for Quentin.Her voice was barely above a whisper, so faint that it was almost nothing at all.Quentin could tell that she was saying something, but he couldn't make out the words. He dipped his head and nuzzled the stubble on his chin against her forehead. "What did you say?"Talia shook her head. "Nothing."He didn't push it. He just kept grazing her skin with his stubble while he said, "Stay here tonight. I'll call your brother and let him know."Talia's eyes went wide. "Quentin, if Garrett finds out, he'll kill me."Something sharp flickered in Quentin's eyes as he looked down at her, and his voice cooled. "He can try. I'd love to see it."He said it with absolute conviction, chin up, and without an ounce of doubt. Talia studied his face, searching for any crack in the confidence.Before she could find the words, his phone rang. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen. Of all the times for a call,
Talia's eyes were swimming with tears as she bit down on Quentin's shoulder with every ounce of strength she had. She cried while she did it, tears streaming down her face without stopping.Quentin bore it. The pain was searing—sharp enough to raise goosebumps across his skin—but he didn't push her away. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her closer, holding her against him.After a long while, the fight drained out of her. She sagged against his chest, her voice hoarse and raw. "Why didn't you move? Why?"Quentin held her gently, a soft, dazed smile on his face. "You think I could ever pull away from you?"Talia didn't respond. She stayed pressed against him for a long time before finally stepping back. She looked up at him and said, "Let me see your shoulder."Regret was already eating at her for biting him that hard and for everything she'd said.Quentin took her cold hand in his and squeezed it gently. He shook his head, smiling. "It doesn't hurt. Really."
Nancy said, "Yvonne agreed."Talia's lips trembled. She almost wanted to say "thank you", but she didn't know what she would be thanking her for exactly.Nancy was her husband's lover, and she had captured her daughter's heart as well. Nancy had already taken away the two people she treasured the
The smile vanished from Quentin's face, and his voice dropped low. "You're saying the person who saved me is the one who tried to message me today?"Talia nodded. "Yes."Quentin's grip tightened around her arm, his fingers digging in unconsciously. His voice came out rough and strained. "You'd lie
Talia couldn't hold back anymore. Unable to break free from the hands pinning her, she screamed with raw fury, "You're a monster, Rodney!"Rodney didn't get angry. Instead, he let out a sharp laugh. "Yeah, I'm a monster. So what?"As soon as he said that, he hissed in pain.Talia looked down to s
At the mountaintop, five people lay flat on spread-out blankets under the night sky. Talia and Willow were nestled in the center with Quentin and Lucas positioned on either side of them.Staring up at the countless stars overhead, Talia felt her mind cloud over with confusion. The silence around he







