Chapter 11

With trembling hands, Maverick reached for the letter. There was no name on the envelope, but he knew that these were Nicole's final words to him. He took a deep breath, as if gathering every ounce of strength he had, before tearing it open and pulling out the paper inside. The elegant handwriting was unmistakably Nicole's, yet now it carried a cold resolution. Each word was like a sharp icicle, plunging straight into his heart. "Maverick Pitt, by the time you read this, I'll already be gone. Don't look for me. You're afraid of flying. We won't meet again in this lifetime. "I heard everything you said in the study. 'Putting on an act.' 'Sick and tired.' 'My heart belongs entirely to Chloe.' Thank you for finally making me give up. "When I looked back on our past, I realized that the moment you decided to trade our marriage for my kidney, it was already over. Everything that followed was just a dull knife cutting into my flesh. During the car accident, you protected her. During the