THE EMPTY CHAIR AT HER SISTER’S WEDDING WAS SUPPOSED TO PROVE HER FIANCÉ HAD LEFT HER—BUT WHEN A QUIET STRANGER SAT BESIDE HER, KORA NEVER IMAGINED HE OWNED THE HOTEL, OR THAT HIS FAMILY WAS ALREADY PLANNING THE MARRIAGE THAT COULD DESTROY THEM BOTH

from her and placed both palms flat on the tablecloth.

“I’ve been looking forward to this,” he said.

Kora had not heard a man say that to her face in years without sounding like he wanted credit for it.

“So have I,” she said.

Over dinner, he asked about Adam Kalmar.

Kora told him about Budapest, about meeting Adam at twenty-three, about his apartment on continue reading …