Chapter 7

• Gabriel took a deep breath. Fine, she was the woman he loved, after all. He’d give her some leeway. Deep down, he told himself this was his final concession, a favor that only Catherine could ever receive from someone as proud and stubborn as he was. He believed that after everything, she, who had once loved him so passionately, would not be able to refuse the chance to return to him, even if it meant accepting a lesser place by his side.
• "Catherine, listen to me. I'm the eldest son of the Sterling family. My responsibility is to have an heir. The doctor says Juliet is very healthy. Once she gives me a son, I'll bring you back to be my wife again. How about that?"
• His tone softened. He had never been this gentle with any woman before. As he caressed her bruised cheek, still swollen from the slap he had given her, his heart ached. This feeling did not come only from the sight of her wounded skin, but from the ache of knowing that it was his own hand that had caused that bruise.