Page 71 of The Billionaire's Angel

“Stop it,” Amelia said in a sharpvoice.

“What?” Iasked.

“Whatever you're thinking, stop it. I can see it in your eyes. You're doing his work for him, youknow.”

I stared at her, baffled. “What are you talkingabout?”

“Your husband. You're doing his work for him. He wants you scared, so you'll do what he says and go back to him. And here you are, convincing yourself that you somehow deserve less because of him. It's not true, and you knowbetter.”

“Amelia,” I said, “It’snot—”

Impatient with my protests, she cut me off. “What would you tell me? If our places were switched, what would you tellme?”

“It's not the same, Amelia. It'scomplicated.”

“It's always complicated, Sophie. I know you have more backbone thanthis.”

“Because I won't let you have yourcookies?”

“Because you've survived everything he did to you. He used you. He tried to grind you into nothing, and yousurvived.

I shook my head. The shortbread turned to sawdust in my mouth, and I put the rest down on the tray. “You don't understand. I didn't leave. I stopped fighting, and I didn't leave. I gave up. I wasafraid.”

“Bullshit,” Amelia proclaimed in a crisp voice. “You survived. You've already told me. You tried to leave twice, and the second time he caught you, he almost killed you. So you decided to survive and then fate handed you a way out. You underestimate yourself, Sophie. You think that strength is fighting, is kicking and screaming and yelling, or imposing your will on another the way he did to you. But sometimes strength is in enduring. It's waking up every day and facing the pain, knowing you’ll do it again and again, for as long as you have to. There are a lot of ways to give up, Sophie. You didn't choose any of them. You kept yourself alive long enough toescape.”

“If he hadn't died, I'd still be there,” I said, choking a little at the thought. I wanted to believe Amelia was right. I wanted to see myself the way she saw me, as strong andbrave.

“Maybe,” she said. “Maybe you would. Maybe you'd still be waiting for that chance. Or maybe he would've been arrested when they got someone else to testify against those people he worked for. You don't know. We'll never know what might've happened; you only have whatdidhappen. And whatdidhappen is that you took a job with us, at Winters House. And you fell in love with Gage, and he fell in love with you. There is no way on God's green earth that boy is going to let you leave this house while the man who hurt you is out there. I promise youthat.”

“I'm married,” I said, and the words felt heavy in my mouth, sticky with despair. I was married. I was committing adultery with Gage, and I hadn't even known it. I was tied to Anthony, and I'd been dragging him into our bed. I swallowed hard in revulsion at thethought.

“Aiden has an excellent divorce lawyer,” Amelia said, handing me another piece of shortbread. “He needed her to get free of that viper hemarried.”

“How long does it take to get divorced?” I asked, turning the novel thought over in my mind. Divorce. Anthony was alive, and we were still married, but we didn't have to stay thatway.

“I have no idea, but we'll findout.”

I ate the second cookie mechanically, thinking hard. Amelia's voice interrupted, “Do you lovehim?”

“No!” The denial erupted from my mouth before I had time to think. “No, I don't think I ever loved him, but not now. Not after the first time he hitme.”

Amelia reached out and squeezed my hand. “Not Anthony, silly girl. I meant Gage. Do you loveGage?”

“Oh,” I said,stupidly.

Gage. I didn't have to think about that. The first night we met, he'd scared the heck out of me when he grabbed me in the dark. I remembered the way he’d smelled my neck, and a tiny smile curved my lips. He’d been all raw energy, strung tight, and yet he’d apologized and walked me to my room. If I hadn't fallen for him that first night, I’d been well on my way after we’d shared that horrible tea. I was head over heels by the time he kissed me, tasting of chocolate cake andGage.

So sweet and sostrong.

Fierce andgentle.

How could I not loveGage?

“Hmph.” Amelia made a sound of dismissal in the back of her throat and reached for a cookie. Out of reflex, I smacked her hand. She scowled at me and said, “You were so lovestruck, staring into thin air, I figured you wouldn't notice if I snuck acookie.”

“I always notice when you sneak cookies, AmeliaWinters.”

“You are so head over heels in love with him you can't even answer a question when you think about him. How can you possibly consider walking out of this house? You'd tear himapart.”