When Soren awoke, he saw Poppy slumped over beside him, her head cradled in her hand as she dozed in her chair. She was nodding off, her head bobbing with exhaustion.


    Looking at her, he felt aplex wave of emotions. For years, he had been convinced that Evangeline had destroyed his rtionship with Poppy, causing her pain and forcing her to move abroad. He had always wanted to make it up to her. Yet, through it all, he had never seriously considered leaving Evangeline to get back together with Poppy.


    He couldn''t remember the details of what had happened at Evangeline''s apartment, but he was a man, and he couldn''t irresponsibly pretend it never happened.


    After a moment, Soren gently lifted Poppy''s head, trying to reposition her on the edge of the bed so she could sleep morefortably. The slight movement woke her. She blinked, her eyes still hazy with sleep.


    "Soren, you''re awake." She nced at the clock. "It''s time for your medicine. I''ll go get it."


    Soren caught her wrist. His hand was cool against her skin. Poppy looked down, a slight purse to her lips.


    "Thank you for everything these past two days," Soren said. "It must have been hard on you."


    Poppy smiled brightly. "Don''t be so formal."


    Soren''s lips parted. "About what happened..." He trailed off. For some reason, the words "I''ll take responsibility" were stuck in his throat. He didn''t know how to take responsibility. With any other woman, he would have forced her to take a morning- after pill and then cut her a checkrge enough to ensure her silence, pretending the entire incident never urred.


    But this was Poppy.


    "Let''s just pretend it never happened," she said, as if reading his mind, her tone deliberately light. "I don''t mind."


    But her nonchnce only made him feel worse.


    He hesitated, then said, "Tell me what you want. Anything I can give you, it''s yours."


    "Even the title of Mrs. Fawkes?" Poppy asked, her voice yful.


    Once again, Soren fell silent.


    Poppy was used to it. "You know what I want," she said, her tone still light. "I don''t need material things. You''ve always known what I''ve wanted all these years. But if you can''t give it to me, just forget I said anything. Give me whatever you want, and we can act like that night never happened."


    With that, she pulled her hand free and walked toward the door.


    Watching her dejected silhouette, Soren spoke, the words escaping him as if by their own ord. "I''ll consider it."


    Poppy''s lips curved into an involuntary smile. She knew Soren. If he wasn''t going to agree, he would have rejected her outright. "Considering it" meant it was practically a done deal. It seemed Evangeline''s constant pushing had finally shoved Soren right back to her.


    After taking his medicine, Soren arranged for a separate room for Poppy so she could rest properly.


    The rain continued to beat against the window. Soren picked up his phone and looked at the message Evangeline had sent him earlier.


    *There''s someone outside the hospital waiting to see you.*


    Such an arrogant way of putting it.


    He set the phone face down on the table. A momentter, restless and annoyed,


    he picked it up and pressed the button for the hospital''s internal line.


    "The Whitmore woman who was looking for me... have her sent home." Through the sound of the rain, the bodyguard''s voice was tinny. "She''s already gone, Mr. Fawkes. The rain got really heavy, and she was trying to take shelter. To get her to leave, we... we didn''t let her. She stood out in the downpour for a long time before she finally left."


    Soren''s voice dropped, turning sharp and cold. "What did you just say?"