Never Again Yours (Isadora and Magnus)

Chapter 24

Isadora let out a cold laugh. "The one who gets to bask in your affection and the Vaughan family fortune is Pearl, not me! Why should I be the one to marry for the sake of the family?"

"You... you ungrateful girl!" Richard's face darkened. "This isn't your decision to make! Unless you can find someone better than Magnus, you'll marry him whether you like it or not."

Eleanor quickly tried to calm him, smoothing his chest. "Please, Richard, don't get so worked up—it's not worth risking your health. Isadora's been impossible lately; she talks to me the same way."

After a long silence, Isadora finally looked up. "So as long as I find someone more impressive than Magnus, I don't have to marry him?"

Richard snorted. "If you can manage that, I won't force you to marry Magnus!"

But in Capitolion, only Victor-the crown prince-outranked Magnus, with a wealth and power that dwarfed even the Vaughans. Yet the Fitzgeralds were the pinnacle of high society; there was no way they'd ever even look twice at the Vaughans.

In other words, Isadora didn't stand a chance.

Hospital.

Gideon finished setting Elise's IV, then pulled Magnus out of the hospital room, unable to hide his frustration.

"Magnus, you know how fragile Elise is. Why would you let her go into the water? She nearly drowned tonight-she could have died at any moment!"

still replaying Isadora's words "We're even now." A heavy,

his mood further. "And where were you, then? You're supposed to be her doctor. I pay

"You know as well as I do, Magnus-*you're* the medicine

professional, if you're too emotionally involved, you're

that, Magnus strode back into

bed, pale and fragile. When Magnus entered, she opened her eyes and whispered weakly, "Magnus, did

his gaze unreadable. "You shouldn't

wanted to

off. "Elise, I'm going to

tears shimmered in Elise's

mean you're leaving

headache coming on,

I'll still look after you. But Elise, when I promised to

seemed to shrink at his words, her body wracked with sudden coughing. Gasping for breath, she clutched

outside, heard the commotion and rushed in with

Half an hour later.

coat, stepped out into the corridor and found Magnus

the nurse away and approached. "Magnus, we've finally found a matching donor for Elise. If all goes well, she'll have a heart