s grey and unforgiving. It sliced through the gaps in th

d throbbed. The stress of the previous night, the hospital visit, Sc

mug. Evelyn always brought him black coffee, exactly at 6:30 AM. It was part of the machi

t nothing b

d. He patted the

against the light. He sat up,

out. His voice was

le

It wasn't the quiet of a well-ordered

out of bed. That w

in a ball to take up as little space as possible-sat a piece of paper. A

refused to process the visual data. The ring loo

paper. The ring rolled off and

ion of M

over the legal jargon. Irretrievable brea

dulous scoff. He tossed t

tention, he muttere

e had missed it, but surely she understood the gravity of Scarlett's condition? Scarlett was family.

robe. He expected to find her in the kitchen, perhaps sulking over the stov

led out as he entered the living area.

wiped clean. There was no smell of coffee.

r of the room. A flicker of ge

r to the Gues

stepp

ked. She looke

at severe, messy bun, was down, though still unstyled. But it was her posture that threw him off. She

ase, but she set it dow

n. He walked toward the kitchen island, leaning against it to show how

to pour herself a glass of

, she said. Her voice was calm

without me. You realize that, don't you? You are a 'Sharp' in name only.

rd her, using his height to intimidate. He tow

that. You exist in this world because I a

of her glasses, her eyes were dark and unreadable. The

a blind fo

Alexander froze. Evelyn never insu

e dropped an octave

yours. Not anymore. I will be staying in the guest suite until the lawyers

grabbed her upper arm. It wasn't a strike, bu

d. Apologize and go

nd hung i

s. The dullness vanished. A spark

n't scream. She simply looked at his ha

her wrist-a technique that required years of

ack, smoothin

nder, she said. Her voice di

the air. He looked at his own palm, then at her.

, but the words d

sh. She turned on her heel, the tr

d to the

Alexander demanded, h

e said

ind her, leaving Alexander standing in the middle of his perfect, empty kitc