Joshua Hughes' face was pale, and his blood-red eyes were filled with intense heartache. The moment he saw her standing on the terrace, it felt as if a heavy iron hammer had shattered his heart to bits. His heart ached to the point of dying; he wanted to protect her from any harm, he would not allow anyone to hurt her—not even slightly. But now, the one who hurt her the most was him, himself.
This day came too quickly. He thought he would have more time, that he could wait until Avery Jane truly fell in love with him, or until she had a child. How could he have known that heavenly punishment would come so swiftly?
