The Unfinished Vow

Chapter 6

For a moment, everything went silent. Iris' brain simply refused to process the words that had just come out of Warren's mouth.

Her hands clenched so tightly that her nails bit into her palms. A thin thread of blood welled up along the creases of her fingers. "Are you sure?"

Warren sighed. "Iris, the moment you learned who Lucas really was, you should have understood. A relationship like yours was never going to last. In our world, family and standing come above everything else. Nobody escapes that unspoken rule, and Lucas is no exception. And you, your background, your career, your prospects, none of it measures up to him."

Family and standing. Unspoken rules. She understood those words all too well. People liked to say that love could conquer anything. But sometimes the obstacles were simply too high. Love had never yet won against reality.

Iris forced herself to accept that Lucas was getting married, but she still had to ask. "What is she like?"

"Who?"

"Lucas' fiancée."

The words scraped through her throat like a swallowed blade. Every breath tasted of blood.

"Her name is Mina Hawthorne. Her family background is on par with Lucas'. And like him, she did not follow her family into politics. She started her own pharmaceutical company. Her assets are substantial."

Warren's gentle voice laid out another woman's smooth, blessed life. 'So that is the kind of woman who belongs at his side.' Iris glanced around her cramped little rental and understood with even greater clarity.

"Do you have a photo of her?"

"No, but I can take you to meet her. This weekend, we are all going out to the suburbs to set off fireworks. Mina will be there."

When Iris heard Warren's words, her first instinct was to say no. Maybe it was cowardice. Maybe she just did not want to face it. She did not want to lay her vulnerability bare in front of a rival, even if Mina probably did not even know she existed. But things had to come to an end somewhere. She would go and see her, and with that she would put a final end to this love affair that had turned out to be nothing but a mirage.

Iris slowly lifted her head and looked at Warren. "Thank you."

On the weekend, the heavy snow that had blanketed New York for days finally stopped. By the time Iris and Warren reached the suburbs, it was nearly midnight. Along the empty, closed-off road, several luxury cars were already parked. The young heirs of New York's elite families stood around in small clusters in front of their vehicles, laughing and talking.

Iris spotted Lucas instantly. He stood at the center of it all in a camel-colored wool coat. Beside him, a woman with long hair and a gentle, polished beauty had her arm linked through his. That had to be Mina. They looked perfect together. Iris registered the thought without a sound, even as a sharp pain lanced through her heart.

Her face must have looked terrible, because Warren asked quietly, "Are you okay? Do you want to go back?"

Before Iris could answer, someone in the distance spotted them. He waved an arm. "Warren, get over here."

As they walked up, the man flashed Iris a grin. "So you went to pick up a woman."

"Iris, we meet again. Good evening."

Iris recognized him as one of the men from the poker table on New Year's Eve. She tried to force a smile and failed completely.

Thankfully, Warren pulled the guy aside and turned toward Lucas. "Lucas, everyone's here now. Shall we start?"

Iris looked at Lucas too. He waved a hand dismissively and turned to murmur something to Mina beside him. She laughed a moment later. He had clearly heard that Iris was here, yet he did not spare her a single glance.

At that moment, the restless heart Iris had brought with her fell utterly still. Because she understood once again that between her and Lucas lay a chasm she could never cross.

A volley of fireworks burst overhead, blazing across the night sky in rapid succession.

"New Year's is well behind us now. Mina, how about making a wish?" someone in the crowd called out teasingly.

Iris watched Mina smile. "Who makes a wish on fireworks?"

Then the man turned to Iris. "What about you? You have to make a wish with fireworks this pretty. Otherwise, it is a total waste."

'A wish? What am I supposed to wish for?' For a moment, Iris' mind was completely blank. Then her eyes found Lucas, and she suddenly knew exactly what to say. "My wish is that the person I love finds happiness and never looks back."

She finished speaking and pulled out her keys. Slowly, she worked the little bear charm free from the key ring. Then she hurled it as hard as she could into the darkness.