Shawn was teaching her to be tough. He wanted her to not be soft-hearted, or emotional, and definitely not to fall in love.

Finally, Shawn added, "Think about how Aurum didn't hesitate to hand you over to Paul. That should calm you down."

Ivy's heart tightened. The call ended. Ivy still held the phone to her ear, lost in thought for a long time. Shawn's words were sharper than a sword. Remembering how Aurum used her and Gale to set her up, then pushed her into Paul's arms to have her raped fi