Chapter 29

Her voice was calm—no anger, no resentment, not even a ripple of emotion. Yet each word was sharper than any blade, striking one by one on Ethan Fletcher’s already shattered heart: “Ethan Fletcher, just look at you now.” “Pathetic. And truly, what a joke.” She paused, her lips slightly parted, then spoke the words that killed whatever hope he had left: “I once loved you, and that was the greatest shame of my entire life.” “Please,” her voice was firm and absolute, leaving no room for argument, “leave my world forever.” She finished. Not giving him so much as a backward glance, she reached out, slid her arm around Derek’s, and gently leaned against him. Derek wrapped his arm around her waist, shooting a cold, dismissive glance at Ethan Fletcher—who was still kneeling in the snow like a statue turned to stone by the wind. Holding Natalie close, Derek turned and walked with her toward the warm and bright glass house. Natalie never once looked back. Ethan stayed there, frozen, sti