n the screen, the gloved fingers retracted,

ygen rushing into her lungs in jagged gas

a measure of amber liquid. He took a sip, the ice clinking against the glass. The sound wa

onster," sh

cted, not turning around. "An

a cond

looked at her like she was a rabbit tr

are. I want a full-time, private nurse assigned to him, paid fr

moment. Then he pressed a button

hed in. They placed a stack of documents on the rolling table

lawyer droned. "Voting Share Proxy. Power of A

aluation?" She

ast Wing. You will have no contact with the outside world. No

Seclusion for Mental Recuperation. It was

he said, pushing the pape

es on duty at 9:00 PM. She's... an old friend of the family. Without my ca

watch. "You hav

She hated him with a violence that fr

s she hovered over

e thin silk blouse she wore under her gown. He reached over h

eath ghosted over her neck, sending a shiver do

eyes and sign

tched the paper

ordered, stepping back. "

than her entire apartment

hair was matted, her eyes hollow. She stripped off the ruined gow

it her skin, stinging the wounds, washing

as raw. She wanted to scrub away

und herself. As she reached for the lig

idden behind a ventilati

s watching. Even

ed the towel tighter. She looked directl

r hand and fl

ghts, plunging the

hed the screen go black. A small

to remove it,

k in his chair. "Leave it. I w