"Ivan!"

A woman's delighted voice shattered Elodie's thoughts. She brushed past Elodie and threw herself straight into Ivan's arms. Ivan instinctively caught her, letting her cling to him as if it were the most natural thing in the world.-

"Do you know how long I've waited for you?" she exclaimed, her voice full of giddy affection. "If you hadn't come out soon, I swear my dad would've dragged me off to marry someone else!"

Ivan's gaze lingered on her face as she pressed a kiss to his lips. He smirked. "That desperate, huh? Well, tell your driver to wait outside later—I'll send your father a little thank-you note myself."

She giggled and clung to him, refusing to let go. "You're terrible! My dad wants you to come over, says he's dying to meet you, and wants to throw you a welcome dinner..."

Elodie was rooted to the spot, staring at the scene in a daze.

A slow, creeping embarrassment and helplessness washed over her.

The Ivan who'd once been gentle and attentive, who used to make her the center of his world-had he ever really existed, or was it all just a decade-long dream?

A dull ache started to throb in her stomach.

It felt as if a knife had sliced through time and stabbed her all over again.

"Elodie, I don't want to be registered as a Harcourt. I don't want to be your brother."

"When you're an adult... will you marry me?"

his gentle voice lingered in her mind,

"Watch out!"

Elodie turned just

hesitation, Ivan pulled the woman back, shielding her with

own, stumbling as she covered

his eyes dark and

fine..." Elodie managed, turning away before tears could fall. She ran off, swallowing her

watched her go,

his head, brushing her lips with a kiss as

used to

up with. Someone he'd once

back into her car, doubled over the steering wheel, pressing a hand to her aching stomach. Cold sweat broke out across her skin. She couldn't tell what hurt more-the bitterness in her

snapped

at her phone: Keith

Silverstein Group Headquarters.

he flipped through the documents

in the same company-what kind of stunt was she trying

wasn't allowed near the executive floor, did she really think this

Childish.

straight for

was told Elodie hadn't

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