Steven met Julia's gaze, his heart pounding. He could see the fear in her eyes, the suspicion, the desperate need to understand. She knew him too well—she always had. She could read him like a book, and right now, that book was filled with lies.He knew what he was about to do would hurt her if she finds out. He knew it would break her but he also knew that in the scale of priority, Julia would be happier if Chance was alive than if he was.Moreover, Chance still has a whole future ahead of him, and as a father, the best thing he could do was to make sure his son lives the life that he was meant to live even if it meant trading places with him."Nothing," he said, forcing a smile. "I'm just worried about Chance. We need to hurry."Julia studied him for a long moment. Then, slowly, she nodded."Okay," she said quietly. "I trust you."Steven pulled her into his arms, holding her tight. He hated lying to her. He hated the deception, the manipulation, the way he was using her love for him