She smiled then, genuine and warm, and something in his chest cracked open. How had he gotten so lucky? To have this second chance with her, to see her smile at their children instead of recoiling, to hear her laugh instead of scream?
Whatever cosmic force had transformed his wife from the broken, terrified woman who'd emerged from childbirth into this warm, loving person, he would protect it with everything he had. Even if it meant lying. Even if it meant carrying secrets that grew heavier with each passing day.
"Good," she said, settling back against the pillows with a contented sigh. The morning light filtering through the aquarium cast shifting patterns across her face, making her look ethereal, otherworldly. " I'm too sore to do anything but lie here and be pampered anyway."
Huo Ting Cheng laughed, the sound surprising even himself. "Is that an invitation?"
