"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?"

echo of his gentle voice lingered in her mind, leaving her dazed

"Watch out!"

just

woman back, shielding her with

her own, stumbling as she covered

dark and searching,

before tears could fall. She ran

watched her go, curiosity

her lips with a kiss as he cupped her chin. "Looked

used

years growing up with. Someone he'd once

pressing a hand to her aching stomach. Cold sweat broke out across her skin.

shrill ringtone snapped her

her phone: Keith was

Silverstein Group Headquarters.

as he flipped through the documents

of stunt was she trying to pull

allowed near the executive floor, did she really think

Childish.

headed straight

Elodie hadn't shown up

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