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"What?" Her voice was so soft, so small So full of hope

"I’d wait all my life for her to come back to me" He took her hand, kissed the palm "I wasted fifteen years on someone that wasn’t worth it I can wait a lifetime for someone that is"

"Oh, Cade," Kylie said, tre is terrible I know I haven’t been fair to you through things, but I love you Not Daphne Never Daphne I love you because you’re everything that she’s not You’re the one I want into see You’re the one I want in ht And I certainly don’t want an annulment"

For some reason, that ain "I don’t want an annul you by your contract?" That blistering rage exploded through Cade’s ain It wasn’t Kylie that was the problem, then It was Daphne Always Daphne "Goddamn that spoiled brat She’s the most miserable person I’ve ever met I don’t think she wants anyone to be happy if she’s not You don’t worry about Daphne, love I’ll handle her"

"No need," said a curiously flat voice behind the"

Kylie tensed in Cade’s arer Not with her actions, not with her words He kept Kylie locked in his ar over his shoulder at Daphne She was in her opening nuned to look a bit like the blue waves of the ocean, and her as a bright platinuh, her sed her torso, and Cade realized she was thinner than he’d ever seen her

"Maybe I am a spoiled brat," Daphne said "Maybe I am mean And selfish Or maybe I just need to know that noto be there for uess I rong about that, huh?"

She turned and stalked away, sla for her private suite backstage

Silence fell

"Yo, should we go after her?" One of the dancers asked "She’s supposed to be onstage in fiveafter her," Carmela said "I don’t want a vase to my forehead like Kylie there"

Cade didn’t blame her "Everyone just leave her alone Let her work off her sulk" He didn’t care what Daphne did at this point The livid bruise on Kylie’s forehead--Kylie, as nothing but kind and caring--had destroyed any sort of tenderness he ht have felt for Daphne Daphne had attacked an employee, and she should have been sued Instead, they were pressuring poor Kylie to dualled hio after her, Cade"

He looked at her incredulously, then shook his head "I came here today for you and only you"

"I know," Kylie said softly "But you haven’t seen the way Daphne’s been for the last week She’s cru, Cade She’s an utter mess and no one knohat to do"

"No She had her chance She could have apologized to you She could have tried to oons pressure you I refuse to give in to her bullying"

But Kylie shook her head and clutched at his jacket "It’s not about bullying right now Cade, I love you with all ht? She’s not in her right mind lately"

"That much is obvious," he said, and brushed a thuht of iteyes pleading "It’s not about sense any longer It’s not about ants who I’ht? She’s been raging unchecked and you were the only one she even halfway cared about Now that she doesn’t have you, I don’t knohat she’s going to do Justgo talk to her, okay?"

He hesitated Then sighed Cupping Kylie’s chin, he gave her a soft kiss "This is why I love you, Kylie Daniels Because you have a soft heart despite everything"

"I love you, too," she whispered "So h I’m not supposed to"