"Maybe maybe I made a mistake. It's not your husband saw. Glana pursed her lips. 'I

'I think we should go."

"Huh?" Kura was puzzled by her friend's abrupt about-tum.

Geana looked away

The shocked the discovery bad put her in a dither.

She called Kirawithout thinking it through.

But now that she had some time to cool down, she realised it might not have been such a good idea

How would Kira feel when she saw her husband with another woman?

Gians didn't want her friend to be deceived, but neither did she wan kita to get bat

The stronger Kira's feelings for Austyn, the more painful his betrayal would be

lana didn't want Kit to get lir heart broken

"You're right," she said, most have seen someone who looks like him. I made a mistake. We should go

She took Kira's hand

"Yes, I'm sine. Come un, we ran out for a late night barbecue. I'm hingey

"Kimim, Cin not for I'll go with you I haven't seen you for almost a week. Let's catch up. But before that, I just want to take a quick peek. Kira was curious to see the man who looked like Austyn

ere's nothing to see, honest

taria pleaded with her. "Tome no, we should just go

"1111 take just a minute!

Kicatrotted to the ward

The upper half of the dnot was a se

transparent glass panel.

Kira stood on tiptor and looked inside.

The room had only one bed

Awoman was lying in

Kita could see her long black hair and out on the p

But her face was blocked from view by a man sitting sideways the edge of the best

His head was lowered, facing the woman

He looked concerned

The two seemed to be deep in conversation.

Kira couldn't hear what they were saving

but just like titans, she had twenty twentyvision.

Her eyes processed the image and delivered a verdict to her brain.

The man was Austyn McCarthy, not a dappelcancer.

He'd left this moming before she got out of bed, so she had no idea what clothes her w

But that Times Marlin watch on his left wrist was inetutabile prosot.

Kira replayed the call in her head

It was more than two hours ago

Austyn said he had to work

She used the time to settle the debate raging in her head and to workup her courage.

She had dean.

She would tell bam that Deborah was alive and back in Stamford, and then let the chips tall where they might

She'd tried to convince herself that silence wasn't the same as lying, but that was just another form of self decrption.

white she was grappling with her conscience, what was Austyn doing?

He was keeping another woman company at the hospital, wy kan away from the office of the M Group,

He'd lied to her

Kira but her bottom lip to prevent herself from screaming

She scratched the

th ber nails, leaving long, angry grooves

"Kina "Cumawak startled by the fury in her eyes.

Kira gutted her teeth. "Kilania, I might resort for vulence later. Things could get ugly pull me back if you think I've gone too far."

Dana seized her hated "Let's not do thing ash There could be a misunderstanding

Misunderstanding my ass! Look at that adulterous ceuple. They're so blatant Shameless! Look, be's striking her cheek

"I'll give her something to one about

cup to the glass panel

's founding her a tissue. It looks like the

What A Joke

"What are you going todo? mauesked.

"Beat them to a pulp, of course!"

nate you going to beat up?

who

KILA WASH BANKIINTO, at the mouth. I don't care! Both of them! Him first!"

Gina locked both arms around Kira's waist like a sumo wrestler and hauled her away from the door. 'While I'm all for giving them their just punishment, I don't think a beating is going to solve anything. For one, you can't possibly overpower your husband. He's a lot bigger and stronger than you."

T'use mymals! 1 my teeth!!

Sure, sure. But he has those, ton. And he has bigger fists and longer legs."

plana, whose side are you on?"

"Yours, of course! I'm just trying to make sure you don't do something you'll regret later."

This had always been the dynamic of their friendship.

Whenever one of them was about to lose her cool, the other had to calm down and be the voice of reason.

Kira was on the verge of tears. Then what? I should just sit back and do nothing? Just watch them make a cuckold out of me?"

"Um. I don't think that's how the word is supposed to be used."

"I don't care!"

All rational thought went out the window the moment Kira saw Austyn with a

another woman.

play, play "Chana gently stroked Kira's am. "Let's just talie a deep breath. Take it easy.

"I can't just want to beat the cheating bastard's tace to a bloody pulp!"

"Uh, that's not going to end well for either of you.' Glana racked her brain for a way to tallcher half-crazed friend out of her violent idea. "Wait, you want to be a journalist, right? What does a good journalist do before she has all the information? She does research. She gathers data.

"What?"

"You can't beat them up, but there is something you can do-recon. See what the other woman looks like before you...engage the enemy.

Kira was still fit to be tied, but Giana had powerful arms and Kira couldn't break free of her hold

Then the sound of Austyn's old-fashioned ringtone drew her attention.

Both girls pressed their faces up against the glass pane.

Austyn got up and walked over to the window as he answered the call.

Kira got a good look at the woman's face

Her entice body went still.

Her blood stopped flowing.

Deborah Connelly was sitting up in bed, clutching a wet tissue in one hand.

Kipa forced herself to check again

There was no mistake

The woman looked as beautiful and fragile as the first time i

Kid saw her

She wore a blue-and-white hospital gown, with a navy blue jacket draped over her shoulders. Auryn's jacket.

Kira felt as if someone had bludgeoned her over the head,

Black dots swam in front of her eyes

Austyn was with Deborah

They were already reunited with each other.

Kira thought about the past twenty-four hours sho'd spent, agonising over the decision to come clean.

She had been filled with self-reproach, thinking she was a bad person for keeping the truth from Austyn

What a joke

*Giananed out in pain

Kira looked down and realised she'd deg bernails into Glana's armi

She withdrew herhand. "Sorry."

Never mind." Gana took Kita by the elbow and dies her aside. What's wrong?

Kla's face was flushed with anger a minute ago.

Now it was white as a sheet.

Kira blinked.

She caught Giana's hand. 'Let's get out of here."

"Now? What about the recon?

Kira didn't answer.

She took the stairs and kept walking until they'd left the hospital building,

Kira, I still think it's a misunderstanding, Giana ventured to say. 'Just now in the ward, your husband and that woman didn't do anything inappropriate. Maybe she's just a friend.'

Giana regretted calling Rica.

She'd made her friend miserable,

Kira smiled weakly.

she would have agreed with Giana if it had been any other woman.

Should we go back? Maybe we can talk to Austyn, see what he has to say, I'm sure he can clear things up."

"No, I don't... Kira covered her face with her hands. 'I don't want to go back there, Giana, I just want to go home."

There was no misunderstanding

The woman was Deborah-Austyn's first love, his fiancée, the woman who took a bullet for his mother, the woman who would live on in his heart forever. Kira thought she was prepared for whatever reaction Austyn would show once she told him Deborah was alive. She thought she could bow out gracefully and give them her blessing if Austyn chose Deborah.

But she was wrong

r away as possible.

When she saw Deborah's face in that ward, th

the only thought on her mind was to run away, as far a She didn't think she could hold it together if Austyn chose to break up with her on th Giana watched in stunned silence as Kira wept, so bitterly as if she was going to cry her eyes or

on the spot. She stayed with Kira on a cold bench outside the hospital, her heart heavy with regret and concer

The call came from Trinidonia,

Austyn said hello to his mother.

Charlotte asked how he was doing, and asked when she could see her daughter-in-law.

Despite her strongest wishes and the best treatments money could buy, her body was still

IfallingText content © .

Herorgans

shutting down one by one, slowly but irrevocably.

Each day, she was one step closer to the grave

She wished to see her daughter-in-law at least once before she died.

Austyn pondered for a moment before save her know once I get home. I'll arrange for a flight out to Trinidonia sometime this month. I'll bring her to se

Charlotte was o

es allow it."

overjoyed. 'Let me know the date and time of your flight. I'll come and meet you at the airport if the doctors Ausayn swallowed.

He tried to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

What's So Special About Kira?

'I'll make sure to bring her to see you, 'Austyn tried to put some cheer in his

(I've seen her photos, she's lovely. A bit on the young side, though. I'm not sure if she knows how to take care of you.

Charlone knew how capable Auryn was, but it was always a mother's wish to see her son well looked after.

Austynchorked. "She's young, but mature for her age. She has a good head on her shoulders. Besides, I don't need dier to take care of

alound

Charlottenled.

The affection in her son's voice was evident. 'As long as you're happy."

Austyn looked out the window at the starry sky. 'Tam.'

His voice waslow, but the ward was quiet

Deborah heard every word.