as parched, and for a terrifying five seconds, I forgot everything. Then, I saw the empty space on my ring finger-a pa

llars in my checking account and a mountain of student loans that Ju

Academy. I was a scholarship kid who had fought for every inch of my education. Surely, that counted for something.The first interview was at Loring

ill see you now," the recepti

is some of the sharpest I've seen from someone your age," he said, leaning back in his leather chair. "I think you'

icense, my heart fluttering

he smile vanished.It didn't just fade; it died. He looked at the ph

as reciting a funeral dirge. "There's been an error. This p

echoed, my voice small

Thorne. Please s

n was undeniable. I was walking out of a mid-sized boutique firm, my heels clicki

f the "Kings of St. Jude's," a man who had spent three years laughing at m

ble, Maya?" he drawled, his eyes rakin

?" I hissed, clutching m

ity." He hopped out of the car, leaning against the door with a cruel grin. "He didn't even have to say much. Just a little whisper that you were a

w. He told us you'd last about forty-eight hours before you realized you can't even buy a sandwich without his permission. He's got that settlement check on his desk

ran. I didn't stop until I was inside my studi

ones, and I cried. I cried for the girl who thought she had escaped her past. I cried for the woman who realized her husband was now her execu