The Cherished Wife

Tania's heart skipped a beat as Peter's grip on her chin sent a jolt of heat through her. That intense warmth from his touch was impossible to ignore.

Staring into Peter's eyes, Tania was swamped by feelings she could not quite put into words. Three long years had passed, and they had not been kind to her. Nightmares often woke her up, replaying the worst moments over and over. When she needed him most, Peter was nowhere to be found. That kind of hurt builds up, and her bitterness toward him had only grown. The last blow hit too close to home, and she felt trapped.

Peter's brow was knotted with concern as he watched Tania sink into deep grief. He could almost touch her sadness. "Tania?" he murmured her name so gently, but Tania recoiled like a startled deer, shoving Peter away. Her gaze was icy as she regained her composure. "Peter, I've told you before that we're done. We can never patch things up!"

Tania turned and ran as if the ground were crumbling behind her. Peter stood there, watching her disappear. It took a while before he balled his hands into fists and went to check on Brandon.

He knew he had ways to bring Tania back, but they had too many misunderstandings. Then, there was Brandon...

features melted into a tender smile. He knew, despite Tania's denials, that Brandon was

him. That man felt

as if she had just seen a ghost and made a beeline for the kitchen. Noelle was there, chopping and prepping veggies for tonight's stew. She glanced up at Tania's panicked look,

nod, rinsing the vegetables and giving Tania a

closer. "Let

Noelle stepped aside to make space

living on my own in Brookville, I had to do everything for myself, whether it came to making food or getting clothes After Brandon came along, I didn't trust anyone else with him, so I've always handled his meals," Tania explained, starting to wash some veggies. "You and