Page 56 (1/2)

One more day Less than twenty-four hours now and she had only that much time to reassess her options and adapt because she would not fail this time She would succeed at any cost and no one, especially not Wade, would die because of her

Because she could call what she felt for Wade a lie for an eternity and exist in the sao, but she knew the truth It was raw and it was painful, as only the truth can be, but what she felt for Wade, what he ave her a taste of the forbidden--hope--and one night of feeling loved was no lie

It was real Too real And it scared the ever loving hell out of her because she could not allow her deepest secrets, the hopes and drea for what Wade offered to be real and not just a hopeless dream interfere with her objective, distract her or sway her fro the strength to carry out and execute her plan A mission that had consumed her very existence theher Thomas would become a free man in a couple short weeks

She lived the mission She ate, breathed and slept--the few ti, not even the pro the beauty she’d never had and had once wantedin the world, would interfere with her destiny

Soe Others would call it retaliation Feould say justice had been served But to Eliza, it was none of those things They didn’t even factor in

For her, this was love The love she’d been denied for most of her life but had finally seen it, witnessed it, experienced it for what it truly was Love was sacrifice Love was being willing to do anything to protect so the hardest decision you would ever face in a lifetiain with no hesitation, no regrets

Notor what it meant to her But for her, it was simple and uncomplicated Her task, her mission, the necessary evil she had undertaken without a second thought, no hesitation and no regret was for love

And there was no sacrifice too great for love

For Wade

Oh God She couldn’t lie to herself any but honest with herself Too honest at ti to her And she was so mixed up, confused and conflicted but above all else, for the first tiood And it was Wade who’d given her that gift It was Wade who put himself out there, ive hiave to her

He’d told her she mattered That she was important to hi to ard, the patience and tenderness he displayed

She’d treated him reprehensibly, and worse, she’d tried to use his or emotions She’d erected a concrete wall between theet in, couldn’t see past the façade she’d spent a decade perfecting And yet so deep below the surface of the caustic cae she wore like she was born with it and had found the real Eliza beneath all the anger, fear, bullshit and the dozen other roles she donned out of self-preservation and he’d handled the real Eliza with care and sothat she ached just rely handsome, a lethal combination that made women throw themselves at hierous edge that only added to his already considerable appeal He could have any woer, so why the hell had he chosen her?