Her airways constricting, Eve massaged her temples.

How could she have been party to Ivy's deceit?

True, she and Julian had barely been on speaking terms at the time, but she had still discovered that Ethan wasn't his son and hadn't told him—or Sam and Grace for that matter.

She couldn't keep a secret like that again.

She wouldn't do that again.

She wouldn't cause another person she cared about pain like that ever again—no matter what it cost her.

"Eve?" Julian asked softly. "Eve, what's the matter?"

Steeling her back, Eve looked up at him. "I know you think you love me for who I am. But, Julian, there is something that even you don't know about me—something huge that I've kept from you."

Julian swallowed hard. "Eve, whatever it is, you can tell me. I promise—I won't be angry with you."

Eve took a deep breath in, her airways expanding. "What if I told you that I found out that Ethan wasn't your son months before you did? That I let Ivy pressure me into keeping that secret from the entire world—let her pressure me into keeping it from you?"


Gwen rushed out of the station and collapsed onto a bench. She had come here with the best of intentions. How had everything disintegrated so quickly? She had planned to stand up to her mother—to tell her mother she deserved to be treated better. Yet, somehow, she had exited with the weight of the world on her shoulders—with no signs that the situation would ever get any better.

She might have to testify against her mother?

She had never considered that. However, according to what Sam had told her on her way out, it could very well come to that.

It was bad enough that her mother thought she didn't love her—God knew that wasn't true—but now she'd have to be one the people pointing fingers at her in court? What was she going to do?

If that happened, if her mother went to jail permanently . . .

"Maybe it all will be my fault," Gwen whispered, her face going pale. "Maybe she's right. Maybe I should have stayed loyal to her. Maybe I am a terrible daughter—maybe I am a horrible person."

Gwen took a deep breath in and buried her head in her hands. "No, I'm not. I did the right thing. I couldn't let her help commit a murder."

Gwen breathed in slowly and deliberately, trying to calm her heart rate. She had done the right thing; she couldn't have done anything else—her mother had given her no other choice.

So why, try as she might, could she not silence the sound of her mother's voice ringing in her head?

"I'm talking about love—the love you should have for your mother. The love that apparently you don't have."


"You found out the truth about Ethan?" Julian's face dropped.

"I caught Ivy in the hospital records room," Eve cried softly, tears staining the sides of her cheeks. "I shouldn't have let her get away with what she was doing—but she was blackmailing me, Julian."

"So she wasn't bluffing?" Julian rubbed his chin. "She did find those pictures of us?"

"Yes, she did." Eve turned away from him. "She used them to blackmail me into helping her break up Sam and Grace."

"You helped Ivy try to break up Sam and Grace's marriage?" Julian's voice filled with disbelief.

"God help me, but I did," Eve cried. "I'm so ashamed of myself."

"Eve, why didn't you come to me?" Julian asked.

"I don't know," Eve cried. "That would have been the logical thing to do. I just wasn't thinking, Julian."

"How could you when Ivy was hounding you?" Julian mused. "She nearly drove me out of my mind."

"Yes, well, she certainly pushed me over the edge," Eve lamented. "She wouldn't stop badgering me."

"Oh, Eve . . ." Julian pulled her into his arms. "I wish you'd let me help you."

Eve's breath caught in her throat, a bubble of hope swelling in her chest. "Julian?" she asked, fresh tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "Are you saying you're not angry with me?"

Julian squeezed her tighter, his voice filling with compassion. "How can I be angry with you?"


"So, what do you think?" realtor D'Anna Biers asked as she walked back into the living room.

Luis slipped one arm around Sheridan's waist and smiled. "I think we could be happy here."

Sheridan beamed as she glanced around the townhouse. "I love all the light, Luis."

"I agree." Luis kissed her head. "But mostly, I love the look on your face."

"I just can't believe we're searching for our first home together." Sheridan laid her hands on his chest. "This is my dream come true."

Luis nudged her nose and kissed her lips. "You're my dream come true, Sheridan."

"When are you two looking to move?" D'Anna asked.

Luis laughed and cupped Sheridan's belly. "Well, ideally sometime before this little one decides to grace us with her presence. We're renting a one-bedroom right now."

"Yes, and it would be great if we could get settled sooner rather than later," Sheridan smiled. "I don't think I'm even going to want to think about moving when I'm in my last trimester."

"Well, if you're serious about this place, we might be able to do something about that," D'Anna said. "The owners have two mortgages right now, so, if they get an offer that's within their range, I can't imagine that they'll refuse it."

"What do you think, Luis?" Sheridan whispered, steering him off into a corner. "It's within the price range we agreed on."

Luis smiled and kissed her. "Yes, it is. And if it makes you happy, then I am happy."

"It does make me happy, Luis." Sheridan smiled, tears welling in the corners of her eyes. "Can't you just picture raising our daughter here?"

Beaming at her, Luis feathered his fingers over her belly again. "Yes, Sheridan, I can."


"You're really not angry with me, Julian?" Eve's heart swelled with disbelief.

"I may be many things," Julian conceded, "but I'm not a hypocrite, Eve—at least not when it comes to you." Julian bowed his head. "How can I be angry with you for caving into pressure from the Crane family when I did the same thing to you?"

Julian wiped away the tears streaming down Eve's cheeks with the pads of his thumbs.

How could he be so forgiving of her? She had kept a huge secret from him.

Yet, his eyes were still glistening with compassion and love—almost as if she were the one who'd been wronged.

How could she have resisted this man? How was she still resisting him?

He loved her no matter what. He had proven that over and over again. He had laid down his life for her.

"Eve, what are you thinking?" Julian asked.

Eve blinked back tears, a lump forming in her throat. "I'm just awed by your ability to forgive."

"As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing to forgive," Julian insisted. "I understand why you did what you did."

"Oh, Julian . . ." A fresh set of tears sprang to Eve's eyes. "You make me feel like I'm actually lovable."

"Oh, Eve, you are lovable," Julian said, "—and so completely and utterly loved."

"But I've made so many mistakes, Julian," Eve protested.

"And I haven't?" Julian laughed. "Eve, you're a saint compared to me."

Eve blushed, her eyes averting to the floor. "I'm hardly that, Julian."

"Maybe not, but you're still courageous, kind, and strong," Julian said. "The world would be a better place if more people were like you."

"Do you really mean that?" Eve asked, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"Of course I mean it." Julian lifted her chin. "You inspire me to be a better person, Eve."

"Oh, Julian," Eve cried softly, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh, Julian, I love you so much."