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He’d shaved and changed into a better-fitting suit since his appearance on the news, but it was ht froh, prominent cheekbones, and deepened the hollows around his eyes His cheeks were gaunt She wondered how nificant

Even in the orange glow, his skin was starkly pale in contrast with his hair The silvery-toned suit he wore didn’t do host

As A shots and society types scattered around the roo table, no doubt full of influential wealthy alu A to be drawn into introductions, and nearly ran into a waiter carrying long, thin-stene on an opulent silver platter

While Arown up poor in any sense of the word, there was nothing in her life quite like this She’d never so own for some Cinderella-like dream date at a place like this

Even in her ht as well have been wearing a t-shirt and flip-flops She’d never craved or longed for the rich life, but breathing the rarified air of a wealthy, old-world establish That is, it would be if — and that was a big if — she could ever learn how to feel a part of it

Still, that wasn’t why she was here She wasn’t there to i other than business Quint made that much clear in his call His tone was cold and reserved, as if he’d never talked to her in his life There was pain under his words, but it was to be expected after a trial like the one he’d endured

She returned her gaze to him, and as if on cue, he looked up froht hike in his brow and the brief smile on his lips before it disappeared as quickly as it had come

Theher head slightly as she placed her s on the table

Quint straightened up aardly, lacking the grace and strength he norht he probably should have still been in a hospital bed

“Thank you for coht decline my invitation”

“Of course I calad to hear that you’d made it out of that terrible crash alive, but are you sure you need to be here right now? You’re not yet yourself, if you don’t mind my —”

The sht that seemed to come to his eyes when he saw A him”

Chapter Fifteen

SHE WAS TAKEN ABACK, KNOWING exactly who Quint meant by “him”

“Hampton My son,” Quint clarified unnecessarily “You didn’t bring him I admit I didn’t actually think you would, but a small part of me hoped you would anyway”