Girls this age are supposed to be radiant with youth, blossoming on a college campus—not molded into cold, unfeeling machines, trained only to follow orders like Mae.
Mae’s story reminded Yvonne a bit of Alicia’s, though abroad things had been even more brutal than at home.
While Alicia had endured soul-crushing emotional torment, Mae’s path had been pure physical hardship.
A young girl, taken to Southeast Asia by her adoptive parents, scraping by year after year as an underground fighter and mercenary... The kind of life she’d led didn’t even need to be spelled out—it was etched into her every movement.
Thinking of Alicia made Yvonne’s heart ache even more for Mae.
“Want some fruit?”
“How about some milk?”
“Would you like a cupcake?”
“Don’t just sit there… want to watch a movie?”
Mae sat stiffly on the couch, awkward in a way she’d never felt before.
Before meeting Sean Quinn, no one had ever treated her kindly. Sean had saved her life, but he was a man; he’d never fussed over little things like this. Yvonne, on the other hand, knew full well how Mae felt about Sean—and yet was still kind to her. Was it an act?
But no matter how Mae looked, she couldn’t see any pretense in Yvonne.
“Before I came, Mr. Quinn talked to me. He asked if I had… certain feelings for him. I’m guessing you were the one who noticed?” Mae decided it was time to come clean.
Yvonne nodded, unfazed. “Yeah, I picked up on it right away. But there’s no need to be nervous. Liking the same man just means we both have good taste. Just don’t try to take him from me, and we’ll be fine.”
“He loves you deeply—he’d lay down his life for you. That kind of love is rare, and I’d never be able to come between you. I’ll get myself together soon. I promise I won’t cause any trouble for you or Mr. Quinn.”
Leaning back against the wall, Yvonne gave Mae a meaningful look and smiled. “Seriously, don’t worry about it.”
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Rich Radiant and Over Him (Alicia and Vincent)
Updates please...