Chapter 1
Jacob believed that he was a bad person, that he could not be absolved of his childhood sin. Vivienne was forced to face the reality that she couldn’t change that, as much as she wanted to. In that second, the hope she clung to vanished, leaving her without recourse.
Jacob’s blue eyes were like ice, his attitude just as cold. He’d shut her out, as if he knew that she couldn’t possibly understand, and maybe she couldn’t. The horrific events that had happened when he was a boy had happened to him, not to her. And there seemed to be no way to penetrate the wall that surrounded his heart.
Vivienne looked at Jacob, waiting for him to say something. But there was only silence. The closeness they’d shared no longer existed, replaced with a chasm that she couldn’t bridge. If only she knew what to say, she would say it in a heartbeat.
But she didn’t; she hadn’t for a long time. The crushing realization that Jacob wasn’t going to change was a knife to Vivienne’s heart. Tears formed in her eyes, but she refused to let him see her cry. He still looked so damn handsome, and she longed for his arms around her.
Jacob clenched his hands into fists, as if reliving the hatred he had for Carl Hahn, and remembering the day he tried to kill him. It was so disappointing that it was the hatred that would win. Vivienne was devastated at the unfairness of it all, and disillusioned by Jacob’s reaction.
When he leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling, Vivienne held her breath. This was it: their last chance. Would Jacob snap out of it, see that he didn’t have to bear the burden of his actions forever? Could he admit that he’d changed? Or would he remain convinced that he was a man destroyed by hatred?
Vivienne couldn’t believe that it had come to this; that after all they’d been through Jacob would give in to his past. Watching him stare into space, she prayed he would wake up and see what was possible. If only he would try.
But he didn’t. Jacob expelled a heavy breath, as if realizing that salvation wasn’t within reach. Vivienne leaned on the table with her face in her hands. She couldn’t fight it, and saw no way out. It was too much, and an avalanche of grief threatened to engulf her.
Trembling, Vivienne stood up. Without looking at Jacob, she turned and went into the bedroom. As if living a nightmare, her worst fears realized, she stood in the middle of the room. The luxury hotel had lost its luster. Memories of the intimacy she’d shared with Jacob in the bed pulled at her heartstrings.
She couldn’t give in to sentimentality. There was a time to admit when things had come to an end, and Vivienne knew that time was now. In slow motion, she dressed and packed her suitcase, stuffing her clothes in without bothering to fold them.
It didn’t matter. Vivienne didn’t care about anything, not now. Leaving her suitcase on the bed, she stumbled to the door, finding Jacob in an armchair staring blankly at the wall. She had no idea what he felt, but assumed that he was as miserable as she was.
Yet only Jacob could make it right, and he’d failed to do so.
“I’m leaving, Jacob.”
When he looked up, his features were frozen; there was no softness in his eyes. Vivienne’s heart wrenched, but she didn’t back down. That Jacob didn’t argue or try to talk her out of it seemed appropriate. Her world was falling apart; she didn’t expect any miracles.
As if sleepwalking, Jacob got up and went to the kitchen, where he retrieved his phone. He called the pilot and gave instructions to ready the jet, then he arranged for transportation for one to the airport. While Vivienne waited for the driver, Jacob stood by the window, looking out at the city.
Vivienne reached deep for strength. She wanted to go to Jacob, make it okay, and longed for the good times. But it was the wrong thing to do; it wouldn’t work. Finally, she saw that there was no alternative, and, backed into an
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