When Hannah got home that evening, she found Lionel sitting in the living room. The ashtray on the coffee table was overflowing with dozens of cigarette butts, and a foul-smelling haze hung in the air.


    She wrinkled her nose in disgust as she walked in.


    "If you''re going to smoke, do it outside. It stinks in here," she said, waving a hand


    in front of her face as she headed for the stairs.


    “Hannah.” Lionel stubbed out his cigarette and stood, intercepting her and grabbing her arm.


    "Did you tell Quennel?" he demanded, his voice raspy. "Do you have any idea what kind of man Kim is? Even if you hate Sandra, you can''t possibly..."


    Hannah spun around and swung. The sharp crack of her hand connecting with his cheek echoed through the silent room.


    Caught off guard, Lionel''s head snapped to the side from the force of the blow.


    The sound brought Cora running from the other room. Seeing the scene, she rushed forward.


    "What are you doing? Let go of him! Let go!" she cried, shoving Hannah away and hovering over Lionel, her face a mask of distress as she stared at the red mark on his cheek.


    Thrown off bnce, Hannah stumbled back a few steps, a humorlessugh bubbling up from her chest as she looked at the two of them.


    "Lionel, you still haven''t done a single thing about what happened to me yesterday, and now you''re here interrogating me about Sandra?" She gritted her teeth, feeling more and more like Quennel had been right. She was far too soft. It was her own kindness that allowed them to hurt her again and again.


    "Who is Sandra to you? What does it matter to you who she marries? If you''re that concerned, go crash the wedding and marry her yourself! Stop pretending to be some devoted, noble man in front of me!" she spat.


    "Is today the first you''re hearing about her looking for a husband? Weren''t you aware of her date at Ryth? And you have the nerve to ask me if know who Kim is? Who he is. doesn''t matter to me! Didi arange the marriage?"


    Lionel''s tongue prodded the inside of his stinging cheek. "Wasn''t it you who went


    to Quennel? Didn''t you meet with him this afternoon?"


    "Yes, I did. And he told me Sandra''s


    parents agreed to the match. So what? Are you going to kill me? Berate me into an early grave?". Hannah took a step closer. "I''m telling you now even if you murder meand drag my corpse to their


    wedding, you won''t be able to stop


    it. Go on, try me."


    She fought back the lump in her throat, her eyes trembling as she red at him.


    "Lionel, you didn''t have this strong of


    a reaction when you learned about my past. But now that she''s getting married you''re losing your mind What is she to you? Your true love? The one that got away? Did she save your life or something to warrant this much drama?"


    "Don''t forget, I''m the one who saved your life. But clearly you don''t love me. When you heard what the person who saved you had been through..."


    Hannah''s words trailed off. She stopped, a flood of old memories rushing through her mind. She lowered her gaze, blinking slowly. After a few seconds of silence, she looked back up at him.


    "Lionel, have you ever told me the truth? When did you and Sandra really meet? Was it actually after you returned to the Rosenberg family?"


    She''d always known his rtionship with Sandra was strange, but she''d convinced herself it was just guilt over rejecting their arranged marriage. But now... it was clear that wasn''t it at all.


    There was something between them, something she had never known.