ya

ome a constant, su

was the toxicity of the air in my own

crawled by si

a total of ten hours, mostly to sleep off the

of the sofa in the living

read a si

nlatched, the sound e

nd my heart stutt

sn't

" he commanded, bypassing me entire

v

iletto heels sinking int

creamed money, but the top button of her silk blo

urled into a smile that didn't r

Goldstein,"

gue like a slur, dripping wi

owledged, ref

" she said, placing a leather folder on t

, mentally marking her territory like a

ar, the clink of ice against crystal punctuating h

pposite me, crossing her l

said softly, feigning co

do," I replied

ed ten min

hem retreated

hut, but they weren't thick e

ay, my socks silent o

st the wall next to the

m," Mark's voice drifted thro

onveniences. "But she's useful. Her father's connections

sharp pain radiati

ef

?" Mark asked, his tone dro

ath hi

to take care of it. I'm not having a bastard running around. The only heir I c

ou pay

city and a new Mercedes. She's

d M

tales and happy endings. As long as I buy her shiny things and tell her she's pret

y tilted o

bout the mistress's

about the hypot

king about

eir. A trophy

t want a

ted a

d me to be t

y stomach i

f it was born, it would

, as a prop for photo ops, a

spered into

back to t

violently, but my mind

ber for the private clinic I had resear

ntment," I said,

n," the receptionist replied professi

closed door of the study, v

termi

am

... S

ung

led my fam

porate shar

dfather trusted

I said the mome

without alerting my husband. And I nee

ice cracked with concern

single tear from my c

buzzed in

alling from t

if only to h

is voice dripping

dinner. Order something from

ng in the background, a

eeling wel

oing t

the mask slipping for a fraction

d no,

efore he co

k-in closet and pul

t pack

ed doc

icate. The deeds to the prop

taining the necklace and th

t them one

burn this house

ake sure I wasn't tra