Lucas swallowed hard, his throat suddenly feeling unbearably tight, his expression turned serious as he stared at the woman sitting across from him.
For years, Stella had been many things in his life. A trusted colleague. A confidante. A friend whose presence had become as natural as breathing.
A woman he respected deeply. But at this moment, all of those labels seemed insignificant.
For the first time, Lucas wasn't looking at the powerful businesswoman who had conquered boardrooms and intimidated opponents with a single glance.
Though it was the first thing that drew them together.
He wasn't looking at the woman everyone admired. Nor the adoptive daughter of the Norton's family with a hidden identity.
Nor was he looking at the friend who had stood beside him through countless storms.
Rather, he was looking at a little girl whom he would give everything he had to protect and keep safe, the baby sister he had always wanted to pamper and love.
