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Chapter 1

Bella Jaed for, the moment she’d feared for the last six years of her life Since the nancy in tow, from Harvey Carlson’s posh Arizona compound to her sister’s apartnancy from him, had never contacted the man she loved with all her heart—only to protect their twins from his wealthy and powerful mother, the saht bear for Harvey She had given up the love of her life to keep her children safe, had yearned for him but never wavered in her determination to keep her babies with her

The twins, Caden and Corinne, were in kindergarten now Bella herself was no longer a house executive with the education and skill to coh salary and afford a full-time nanny to help with the twins But inside, she was still that twenty-two-year old girl who’d overheard her boyfriend and hishoasn’t serious about her and even if he were, they could easily get custody of a baby if she had one

In that nant had been shattered along with her heart She had left him, had started a new life and done her best for their children When he ca over the conore the attraction she still felt for him, but it was irresistible He was still theit She’d sworn it was a fling, an old itch even And she’d been scrupulous aboutsure he didn’t know she had children Until now

Here she sat at Corinne’s dance recital, her boss and lover beside her He’d crept into the audience, sat down and watched She knew, knew in her bones that he recognized that tiny blonde drairls had ti at each other for reassurance or to copy a step, Corinne had flung her arms wide and danced— herself up to the hter with pride But when a man touched her arm, when it was Harvey, she’d felt her heart plummet about thirty stories onto concrete and crash She felt ill She wanted to screarab her children in her arain Her first instinct was to flee, just as it had been six years before when she was pregnant and alone Her only thought was for her children, for keeping them with her

She tried to play dumb, to mention that she didn’t realize he had time for amateur ballet shows “I make time when it’s for my family,” he’d replied, his voice velvety but with an iron threat behind it He knew Of course, he fucking kne could he not? The towheaded twins had gorgeous, angelic faces that were so much like his own Harvey was handsoht as a hotshot CEO

“You know?” she said, butterflies beating against her stomach

“You were pregnant when you left?”

“It’s complicated”

“Complicated? Why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve provided for le”

“I don’t struggle”