Two Weeks Later.

Avaline was saved from the clutches of her father, aunt Bernice. Maddox came to claim her himself, though she tried putting up a bold front she couldn't hide the taste of fear that sent chills racing through her spine.

The room was dimly lit, casting long shadows that danced across the walls. The sterile smell of antiseptic permeated the air, mingling with a faint scent of cologne that seemed to linger in the atmosphere like an uninvited guest.

She knew Maddox would surely come to the infirmary to check how his baby was doing, but she didn't understand was why his gaze pierced her with so much...