Ross

ome invis

hantom, spiriting my belongings away i

sulking. He believed I was

ring over the study door, when the

, his tone dismissive. "Yes, I know abou

fr

his tongue, "Elena agreed to go to the villa in Tuscany

ther. Or perhaps, Isab

drifted faintly from the speakerphone, tinny but

a frantic rhythm

had signed th

ak. "She signed the NDA to secure the allowance, Mother. She's

lly beli

ance was

o the shadows, si

t, he thr

and. Inside lay diamond earrings, cold and heavy. "

he same day he had abandoned

, filled with the same vultures who

d in, their voices like t

he kept woman. T

sive hand on my low

ouble doors

a en

ft my lung

k, embroidered with delicate silver vin

a custo

use I had watche

n to return-when he could see nothing but shad

ing the lines. *When I can see a

ia was w

oom, the crowd parting

ed strai

aux sweetness. "Dante told me he designed this dress. It's exqu

predator bar

mfortably. He woul

ft, too," So

her manicu

forward, carryin

puppy. A Ge

rked, its teeth

back. My breath hi

n loose in the servant quarters. One of them had torn

knew

*kn

hrusting the basket toward my ch

rked, a high

tly, knocking int

a pressed, her eyes gl

stammered, my palm

, turning to him. "Sh

e watching. Waiting to see if the m

tight with warning. "Take the

ered, pleading with him

he damn dog!

ut with tre

ensing my te

t scrambled frantical

bol

a towering pyramid

ra

ning as hundreds of

oved in

Sofia, shielding her

d down like

across my forearm. An

welling on my skin, w

r face. Her a

he asked her, hi

himpered, burying h

did he l

g down my arm, dripping

regret flash

the crowd

a nearby soldier, his mask slamming b

d back t

oftly to her. "Let's

ked he

ai

arty, bleeding, while the gue

uninjured arm roughly.

attered glass glit

exactly li

d, yanking

take m

t into the

days

ery single one of them cou