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Chapter 1

Tears blinded Lillian Gillespie’s vision as she stumbled out the door of the special care facility The cold slap of February wind that hit her added to the chill that had invaded her body as she’d watched her cherished twin sister take her last breath The nursing staff who had cared for Liana for the last month as she lay in a coma meant ith their embraces and whispered condolences of ‘it’s for the best’, but right now, Lillian couldn’t see it that way

She let the tears fall as she slid behind the wheel of her car, sla what she would do without Liana in her life They’d shared the special bond of twins for thirty-four years, stood side by side when they’d buried first their father and then their o without regret as long as they had each other

And now Lillian was alone

Rubbing her forehead, she tried to gather her thoughts and run through what needed to be done Once Liana had stabilized following a ruptured brain aneurys-ter or even co out of the coe to the s her sister’s brain offered, but now she was glad the hospital counselor had talked her into it It was one less burden to weigh her do

Pulling out of the lot, she auto still hborhood in Salt Lake City when the change in her circumstances hit her with a quick flash of clarity I’ement forced her to pull into a strip er replaced her e her the inner shakes I’et away from him at your expense No, she couldn’t look at it that way It was Lillian’s fault for ignoring the warning signs of the renowned neurosurgeon’s possessiveness for too long before breaking off their affair Maybe, if she hadn’t been so i for the Naples National Art Show, she would have ended the relationshipfocus of everything and everyone around her when she lost herself in her painting, and Lillian had finally paid the price for her artistic absorption

But no more Liana’s death rendered Dr Brad McCabe’s threats useless and severed the hold he had over her Aspained Lillian, she couldn’t prevent a ripple of relief as she got back on the road To say Brad ha

d taken their split badly was an understateined just how obsessed he’d beco-term care facility

Lillian gritted her teeth as she turned onto the street of million-dollar homes and pulled into the drive of Brad’s two-story, one-acre estate No one would ever believe the skilled doctor, one of the ht-after bachelors in the city was a manipulative, sadistic bastard She still couldn’t believe she’d fallen for his solicitous support when he’d found out about Liana’s condition athe teeks doctors, including Brad, orking to give her sister every chance at recovery, he never brought up their relationship even though he’d sworn to get her back He’d offered encourage e else they could do

God, what a gullible fool she’d been But never again His threats could no longer force her to suffer a painful arued with hie a fist to her abdomen or a kidney if she refused to sleep with hias body just to save herself a day or two of pain again

Brad’s ather her belongings, but as Lillian entered the coldupstairs to the rabbed the four-piece suitcase set she’d packed her clothes in a ot to ithout delay Other than her wardrobe, toiletries and art supplies, she wanted nothing from this place

Less than an hour later, she was brought to a sudden halt descending the stairs carrying the last of her paintings as Brad flung open the front door The fury glittering in his cold brown eyes sent a frisson of alarhtened and continued down the stairs In the last month, she’d never cowered under that look and refused to start now