Chapter 22

• Like an accident victim, Layla was frozen in place, her face as pale as milk, her eyes wide with consternation, and haunted by too many powerful reactions to enumerate. Layla was experiencing a wide range of emotions, including anger, mortification, guilt, and pain on multiple levels. Lucas had lied to her. Lucas had pretended to be single and unattached, and an engaged man on the brink of his wedding was anything but unattached. He had been engaged for three years. That was not a recent or casual commitment.
• "If Lucas had told me he was engaged, this wouldn’t have happened because I would never have been with him in the first place," Layla framed with desperate dignity. I’m genuinely sorry that anything I have done has upset you and that this situation is affecting you as well, but there is no way I would accept money from you.’
• I’ve known Lucas all his life. He had a horrendous childhood and, because of that, he will never turn his back on his own child, "Beverly informed her grimly. But I don’t think he should have to sacrifice his whole life and all his plans because of that child. Somewhere, somehow, there has to be a happy compromise for all of us.’