CHAPTER 19 THE PAIN

JARED'S POV I removed her necklace and earrings then placed them on the table before leaving just so it won't be inconvenient then walked out of the room. With breathing shallow and uneven, I entered my study and felt the weight of the evening pressing on me, the familiar and unwelcome tightness that formed in my stomach as I moved through the dimly lit hallway, my steps steady but each one feeling like a challenge. I could feel the sheen of sweat forming on my forehead, the cold beads trickling down my temples, and my hand reaching out to grip the edge of the desk for support. I sensed what was approaching, sensed it building like a slow-burning fire. This is how it always began: with a faint ache that gradually developed into a gnawing pain that tore at my insides. My palm moved automatically to my stomach, pressing against the area that throbbed the most, as though I could hold the pain at bay or drive it back. Gerald, the elderly butler, softly walked into the room and looked