He was handsome, charming, and sweet- everything Elaine could have asked for- but he also had a secret. One that would rip them apart just when they should have been starting their lives together. Elaine is living a decent life when a charming scoundrel named Darren asks her out, sight unseen. She tries to resist him, but her attempts prove futile when he slips under her defenses and crawls into her heart. A shocking surprise leads to a string of confessions, misunderstandings, lies and betrayal. Sometimes, to do the right thing, you have to sacrifice your own happiness. Sometimes, it all works out in the end. Sometimes, it doesn't. A companion novella to the Shadowed Series, this story follows Melanie's parents, Elaine and Darren, their whirlwind romance and the series of events that led to their ultimate separation. **This story includes facts and surprises revealed at the end of Shadowed Strength, book 1 of the series and is meant to be read after Shadowed Strength.