Vitiel

into a gilded cage, and S

orders at the staff, sneered at the menu, and left her jewelry scattered acro

hes, kept my head down, and moved through the hallways

nial task Sofia had suggested I do to "earn my k

sneered. It was Tiffany, Sofia's shadow, a girl w

the heat from the trial dies down. Daddy said Dante needs a union with a Made family to

. A pla

while I wept-it was just maintenance. He was merely keeping the eng

ounge. Sofia was painting her nails on the coffe

, pointing a wet fingernail tow

eded to get to the k

manicured

was childish. And

collided with a side table, and a heavy bronze statue tipp

leaping up. "She attacked me!

e doors b

yes swept the scene: me on the floor, the statue near Sofia's feet, an

e!" Sofia screamed

He didn't look for the truth. He saw a liabilit

e arm, hauling me u

, his voice low and danger

njustice burning my throat. "Dant

oug

e wall. The impact shook a picture frame loose-a photo of my m

me. A cold, cruel resolve hardened

a! Stop using her ghost to

ashed the frame against the

ering was the sound of my he

red his guards, his voice devoid of e

draining out of me. "Dante,

ee clearly," he said, turning h

anic Room was a steel vault in the base

door. The lock engaged with a mechanical th

ffocating

it pressed against my eardrums like water. Time dissolved. Was it an hour? A

afia over me. He chose crue

the door h

silhouetted against the hallway glow. He looked im

p," he

ere stiff from the cold. I sway

r the 'tragic incident' at the gala," he stated

I croaked. My throa

house. To prove your contrition, you will replant the garden b

trampled my mother's

, "you will come to the memorial and smile. You

if I

softly, his hand resting on the

the man I had married, but all

o it,"

ded to be out

o be at th

where I w