Declan was quiet throughout the entire ride back to his apartment. A surge of annoyance pierced through him. He could not bear any more rejection that suddenly seemed to be the order of his life. He was not happy that Hannah just stood there and watched her father talk to him in the manner he did. On the other hand, he had to come to the painful realization that he was her father, and she owed him respect. As he stood in the elevator that led to his penthouse, he thought about his decision to get married to Hannah. He was not so sure that he made the right decision, but he loved her. She had such a gentle aura about her, and that beautiful smile of hers and those soft lips of hers. He had grown so fond of her and he was not sure he would come to love another woman the same way. Just as he stepped out of the shower, his phone beeped. He glanced at the screen, and there was a text from Hannah. How did she know that he had been thinking about her? "We need to talk?" her text said.

Declan glanced at the screen of his phone. He was surprised to see that it was Hannah calling him.   He had tried to reach out to her for the past few weeks, and she had been ignoring him. He avoided visiting the hospital to see her.   He did not want to cause a scene and embarrass her.   "Hey babe, I've been trying to get a hold of you. I'm surprised you called. How are you doing?" Declan spoke up first, and immediately wished he had not.   He was suddenly blabbing. He wondered why he felt so uneasy even when she was not standing before him. She had that effect