The Day Our Promise Breaks

Chapter 571

Blake's reflexes were razor-sharp.

Before he could hit the little girl, his foot slammed down on the brakes, coming to a screeching halt.

The front bumper stopped just inches from the girl's frail, trembling body.

The piercing sound of the brakes split the quiet night, startling the little girl.

She jerked her head around.

Through the rain-streaked window, a pair of wide, luminous eyes-bright as stars -locked onto Blake's inside the car.

Their gazes met.

Startled by Blake's icy, intimidating expression-the kind that could freeze over a thousand winters—the girl looked like a frightened fawn. Her big, beautiful eyes went round, her legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed onto the wet pavement.

It was impossible to tell if she was shivering from the cold rain soaking her or from sheer terror at Blake's presence.

...

Inside the car,

Even after that near-miss, Blake's features remained composed and frosty.

He was the most notorious "Ice King" in the city's legal world-a man said to be born without the capacity for normal human emotions.

But in the instant his eyes met the little girl's, his pupils dilated.

For those few seconds, her eyes looked so much like Yara's.

Realizing he'd let himself think of Yara again, Blake's gaze turned even colder, his emotions locked down tight. The ripple of feeling lasted only a heartbeat before he returned to his usual, impassive self.

After watching the girl collapse, he pushed open the car door, grabbed an umbrella, and stepped out.

Long legs hit the ground, and he strode to the front of the car, stopping just half a step away from the little girl.

He looked down.

he regarded the soaked, trembling child on the ground -certain she was faking an injury

a crisp hundred-dollar bill from his wallet and tossed it at her feet. His voice was as cold as steel. "Take the money

well he

herself in front of

ages, some as young as this one. Some were runaways, others

someone

hadn't been so young, he wouldn't

...

who had been sitting on the ground with her head down,

bill on her lap,

up

red bill meant a hundred dollars. A hundred dollars could buy her and Mom so much bread-they could eat for

owned a car, but he could also just

that meant

seared of

of her mom lying sick at home, she mustered her courage. As Blake bent to get

and threw her

around his leg.

really sick. Please, can you lend

work hard to

bottles and boxes this

grew even colder at

giving

thought, were shameless

voice turned glacial.

"1

clung to him like he was

Blake shifted his leg.

could shake her off easily-she

looked down at those big, pleading

his car grabbed a handful of crisp