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“I’m fine.” Her dismissive look told him she was anything but.

“Do you want to talk?” he asked, still clinging to the stubborn hope that a future between them might be possible.

“Not now,” she responded. “Not today. Maybe not ever. I’m not sure we have anything to discuss.”

Though his heart sank, he managed to smile and nod. “I understand.” And the sad part was that he did. Clearly, he needed to resign himself to a life bereft of her. Despite trying not to watch him, Vanessa saw the myriad raw emotions cross Alaric's handsome face. For the first time since she’d met him, he appeared vulnerable. She shouldn’t care—she didn’t care—or so she told herself.

"Paul said the reason why he'd come was to tell me that they found something in Christopher's office when they searched it. It was a thumb drive, and it indeed proves that Chloe was in on the whole thing with him. He gave it to me and I checked it out when you were with the paramedics. I have to go to the station."

She waited for him to