The housekeeper cinto the den with a message that set Fitch's teeth on edge. “Sir, Ms. Bennitt is at the front gate. Should I let

her in?”

Fitch felt an immediate distaste at the thought of seeing her. He had pegged her as a stable sort, never imagining she could stir up

such scandal.

“No,” he replied, his voice sharp with finality. After his brief response, he grabbed his coat from the rack and exited through the

back door.

It wasn’t until he pulled up to the pet store that he realized why he had driven there.

Ozzy was gone, and in a way, it was on his conscience. It only seemed right to get a new puppy for Zoey as a gesture of

atonement.

But as he walked among the rare breeds, his gaze kept being drawn to a memory of a scrappy little gray mongrel that somehow

seemed more sincere, more beautiful than the ones before him.

Hesitating only a moment, he chose a pristine white pup and, carrying it in a crate, inquired about Zoey’s whereabouts.

Learning that she was in the hospital, he immediately set off in that direction.

Halfway there, he realized that he wouldn't normally do such a thing for anyone else. His brow furrowed as he pondered whether it

was his involvement that had dragged Zoey into this mess to begin with.

Pressing the accelerator, he continued toward the hospital.

Zoey's fever had broken, and she was awake, though her lips were cracked and bloody. She said nothing, staring blankly at the

ceiling, haunted by dreams of Ozzy wagging his little tail, and then of Wendy heartlessly dropping him from a height. Pain throbbed

wasn't a place

pattern in her life: everything she tried to hold onto inevitably slipped away,

of broth and placed it beside Zoey. “Drink

her stomach churning

as she clutched her

her distress, Cornelia nodded. “I'll leave for now and check on you later. The nurses will bring your meals. Try to

you've lost too

fever, Zoey had lost a significant

smile but found

out, wearing a hospital gown with the window ajar, letting in a breeze

threaten to break her.

knock at the door snapped her back to reality, followed by its opening.

look up.

and a familiar presence made her

been yesterday, Zoey wouldn't have been able to stay composed, but now, she felt nothing

him was exhausting, painful, and

his voice as detached as ever, even in this Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ FɪndNøvel.ɴet

moment of supposed amends.

Zoey blinked, uncomprehending.

cto see her of his own accord. But then she picked

soup and flung

to deliver the word he had hurled at her the night

“Get out.”

brow furrowed. “What did

reaching for a cup and throwing it at his forehead with all the strength she

said, get out,” she repeated, her voice

to rage, but then he saw something in her eyes—a lifelessness that unsettled

gown hanging loosely on her

at him, the light that used to shine

unable to comprehend this

the best he could muster was, “Don’t

of politeness in response

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