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“I’d fire him if he had”

“Yeah You would” Her head slowly lifted, and there was fear in her eyes as she gazed up at hiry” Her lip started tre anew “I picked the lock to your study”

Ah

He had a dossier on Pippi on his desk, and Ah it

“I suppose that’s how you learned about Pippi”

A pale Acheron didn’t do nicknames He had never called her ‘Amy’, not even when they were alone And yet he called the other girl Pippi

Desperation filled her She had always known that the day would come that she would lose him, but now that it finally happened, it was so much worse than she feared Socialites and heiresses were no threat to her They would always be too shallow for Acheron But a do-gooder like Pippilotta Jones?

“That girl…” It was a challenge to speak in a level voice when she was so tempted to cry “She was the one who helped me that day Wasn’t she?”

A clipped nod, but if Acheron thought that wasn’t going to reveal anything, he was sadly mistaken She knew hiht not have realized it yet, but that girl already owned his heart

“You care for her”

“Amelia—”

“Don’t bother lying” Her voice shook “I know, just by looking at you” Her lips curved in a sht damn near broke his heart

Youlooking at me like I betrayed you

“It doesn’t have to change anything,” he said curtly “She knows you’re here, and she’s okay with it”

“I’ that she owed him so much that the least she could do was be happy for hione through, they were supposed to be together They were destined to be with each other Why couldn’t he see that? Why?

Acheron started talking to her about doctors and rehabilitation programs, and Amelia pretended to listen even as hts filled her irl, but that was exactly the reason why she would never be a good fit for Acheron

Acheron stayed with her for the rest of the day, leaving only when they had finished having dinner in her room and she had already showered and tucked herself into bed Just as he was about to reach for the door, shehis name in a frail voice

She saw concern flicker in his gaze as he turned to her, and her heart swelled with hope I knew it That girl had only temporarily turned his head, but in the end, no woman could ever come between them