ove the city. Vivian lay in the master bedroom, the duvet p

ometric lock on th

n the hardwood floor. They were heavy, tired. He didn

ttern. She smelled him before she felt him. He smelled of rain, of the damp London ai

ed as he sat on t

or a moment, his hand hovered over her shoulder. She could feel the warmth of his palm. S

jection. He withdrew his hand immediately. Th

hear the silk sliding against the fabric

e hidden bottle of pills she had tucked under her pillow. She wondered if he was

he kitchen, moving mechanically. She prepared a light breakfast-toast, fruit, black coffee for him. The smell of

yled, his face an unreadable mask of corporate efficiency. He looked like the cover of For

he had poured. He check

er her fingertips. This was it. She had to tell him. The

ted. Her voice was

e, cold as ice. "We need to tal

The words died

elope. He slid it across the marble island. The sound of the

ed the wax seal. It was the Ster

n said. His voice was devoid of emotion, as if he were

e. Her knees went weak. She gripped the

weather. As if Serena wasn't the ghost that had haunted their entire marriage.

ame hung in the air, suckin

The title of the document stared back at her i

a microsecond, his face softened. The hard lines around his mouth relaxe

"You will be taken care of. The apartment in Che

that was rising again. She

use of her?"

ned his suit jacket. It w

new that. My grandfather wanted this un

didn't look back. He didn'

, clutching the ma

red, but she forced herself to focus on the fine p

anded on C

mplications regarding estate lineage. Should the pregnancy proceed to term against the Father's wishes, sole legal and physical custody shall revert excl

d. The air l

send it away. He would erase her from her

apers spread out on the island. She saw Vivian's face. She look

her pocket. She touched the cold plast

t deeper int

ell him. Not if she wanted this baby to