Page 68 of The Billionaire's Accidental Legacy

But it was having the effect that he’d wanted it to. If anyone made a move toward her, it would be so highly publicized, so apparent, that nobody would ever be able to walk away from it without a life of imprisonment.

She was no longer an asset to her father that outweighed the liability of acquiring her.

And that was the gift.

It really was.

So she supposed it didn’t matter if he touched her or not. Her feelings didn’t matter.

She didn’t even know what her feelings were. But she had them now.

Did he?

She had been drawn to him from the first moment she had seen him. She knew it was the same for him, but would he ever let himself feel it?

They were both broken; he was right about that. But they’d seen each other. Didn’t that matter?

It had changed her.

Would it ever change him?

She’d seen hints of it. She knew he wasn’t the man he’d pretended to be for so many years. He was caring, and intense. He was strong and he was...

Ewan. The same way she was just Jessie.

“You look sad,” said Maren.

“I guess I’m a little sad. I never dreamed about getting married. I sort of wish I had. So that I could enjoy a part of this.”

“Is that really what’s bothering you?”

She didn’t know what was bothering her. She was trying to figure it out. Her brain was a fantastic and useful computer and it couldn’t seem to put the data set together to figure out what exactly was the issue now.

So what good was it to her?

“Come on,” said Maren. “You have to get married.”

Maren was irrepressibly excited and Jessie had a feeling it was down to her bridesmaid dress being princess-like and frothy.

She allowed herself to feel a small measure of happiness that Maren had gotten through all this with her... Maren-ness intact.

That was, perhaps, the greatest testament to what she’d done in the years they lived with her father. She’d protected Maren. She was still able to be soft and excited.

And you?

Well, she’d committed graver sins.

You saved that girl; how long will you punish yourself for being a pawn?

She wasn’t punishing herself; she was protecting herself.

But not now.

No, not now. She couldn’t, not with him, and she’d known that from the beginning.

It was why she’d pushed him away, then been angry about it. Because she wanted it, but she’d been afraid of it.

So much of her life was grounded in fear.

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