e of champagne. The crystal felt cool and fragile in her hand. She h

nst the wooden floor. The sound was like a gunshot in the sudd

warned, his voi

er fake lashes fluttering. "Who let you in

ompletely. She kept her

the jazz music. People at nearby tables turned, sensing the spectacle. Pho

e word husband. A collective gasp rippled through the onlook

o Chloie, "to his mistress. For keeping him ent

her wrist, she e

e golden liquid soaked into her white designer

up from the booth. "My

whispers turned i

igging into her flesh. "What the hell are you doing?" he hiss

n, her face inches from his. She smell

ted, Cedric," she whispered. "You wan

all night, but this... this was interesting. He studied the woman in the red dress. Her profile, the arch of her nose, the fire in her e

ically at her dress with a napkin, tears of rage streaming

llow, brittle sound. "A stalker

s grip. With her other hand, she pul

e knocked over a small votive candle, w

edric," she

ld text stared back at him

. He was waiting for her to cry, to beg, to ask for another chance. That was the Evangeli

e," Cedric said, his voice losing some

ards him. "Sign it. Or I start talking to the reporters o

dragged her out, the videos would be captioned 'Billionaire Assa

pped. And

heavy. He looked at her one last tim

et this," he

he last three ye

ith aggressive, sharp strokes, the pen tip

e papers back the second the pen lifted

she said. Her voice dripped with

ustained her was beginning to fade, leaving her l

ie yelled after her. "I'll sue yo

ough the parted crowd, head high, the red s

dyguard standing in the shadows behind h

on said quietly. "Ma

ough the double doors. He ignored Chloie's whining. He felt a sudden, ga

ne had pooled. It was a stain. And he had a s

d out into the night air. The cool wind hit her flus