He Came Back, But I Was Gone Forever

“I’ve decided to go through with the wedding,” I told my father, my voice steady even though my hands felt cold. “I’ll marry Lucian Vale—the man lying unconscious in that hospital bed—in place of your precious illegitimate daughter.”

I didn’t flinch when I said it.

“You and I both know Cassandra could never handle being tied to a man whose life is hanging by a thread,” I continued. “So I’m stepping in. I’ll take her place.”

My father released a long, tense breath. I watched the stiffness drain out of his shoulders as the meaning of my words settled in.