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Hoas she to survive now?

She sank to one of the divans, her legs refusing to hold her up, a hollow e in her chest

When Stefan joined her on the divan, she flinched “Just spell it out for ed somehow

“Look at me, bella”

“No” She clutched her eyes closed, desperate to keep herself together Fro, he had seen her at her lowest, her weakest Now, she couldn’t bear to betray herself, couldn’t bear to have him look at her with pity

Couldn’t bear for him to kno irrevocably lost her heart was

When his fingers landed on her chin, she swatted hin, Stefan”

But he didn’t let her leave Locking her ar before her “Look at me, Clio It’s not what you think”

Shock pinging across every inch of her, Clio looked down at hiaze touched her with such naked, honest desire that her heart ached

It hurt to look at him, to touch him, to feel his heart and to know that he would never be hers

“What do you mean?”

“I want us to start fresh, bella I want to try this e for real”

Her heart thudded so fast that it was a wonder she didn’t have a heart attack Throat aching, she forced the words to form “What’s the catch? What are those documents?” she said, so terrified of the answer, and yet so hopeful that he would say there wasn’t one

That all he needed was her acceptance

That all they needed was time with each other

Her hope would cripple her if not kill her

And Stefan crushed it under his Italian loafer when he said, “You get five hundred n it”

“Five hundred million dollars? I don’t understand”

“No matter what happens in the future, I want you to have security I want you to—”

“So you don’t expect us to last, then?”