Chapter 2
I had wanted to believe him. Standing now before the enormous Thornton estate overlooking the Hudson River, I wasn't sure anymore.
The first person I met was Jason Thornton, Ethan's cousin — the man who would inherit everything if Ethan remained unconscious. He leaned against a marble column and smiled.
"So, you're the bride."
Something about the way he looked at me sent a chill through my body.
Vivian Thornton, Ethan's grandmother, descended the staircase next, sharp eyes studying me. "You'll do." She led me upstairs without another word. "To meet your husband properly."
Ethan's room surprised me. Sunlight flooded through enormous windows. Fresh flowers filled the room. Soft piano music drifted through hidden speakers. Everything felt alive. Everything except Ethan.
When Vivian left, I sat beside his bed and stopped pretending.
"My mom died two years ago," I whispered. "She would have hated this marriage. I didn't want any of this, Ethan. I was scared. I didn't know how to save my family."
The monitor continued its steady rhythm.
May you like
Then I felt something move beneath my hand. One of Ethan's fingers had curled around mine.
His eyelids twitched. Once. Twice.
