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In that stunning moment between powerlessness and need, it struck hi if it ensured she would always smile like that

It was like a lightning bolt, washing away the poison that had festered in hi the hurt inside him like an avalanche

And that smile, that love that shone so beautifully in her eyes, that hat he had gambled away

The voices around hi froled to breathe past the tightness in his chest

The ache in his heart, the fear in his gut, was so visceral that he rose to his feet jerkily Thatemptiness he’d felt over the past couple of months to the fore

She had banished him from her life with such ruthless will that even he was impressed In two months, he had had only heard from her once—one paltry email that had stripped him of even hope

Do not come back to New York, please This is my home If you ever valued me for even a minute, leave this city for me Leave me be, Stefan

And so he had Against his very nature, he had left her to face the e in a limbo

Because his business empire was spread out all over the world, it had been easy to stay away

He didn’t know if she wanted a divorce He didn’t care

He had snarled at Christian when the latter had visited hi, told Zayed to leave hi could fill the increasing chas could touch hirief and emptiness

He had spent fifty-six days in a hell of his ownif he would ever kiss herto little tidbits about her fro, would love to see if he would bleed

She was flourishing in her new position at the charity

She had been called in connection to the SEC’s case against Jackson

She was looking good

Every day, he broke a littleBut he couldn’t be this coward any her, without holding her in his arms