ted. The burn tore down my throat and

tage, cold sweat soaking thro

ramp seized

ack of my hand to k

, begging him to endure

t through tonight, if he could finally let go of his a

u dead i

room door was

ust. "Ms. Crowne's birthday banquet

against the wall, s

-white greasepaint caked thick, a blood-red grin

lung to me, a ridiculous t

ole Killian ha

most cherished love.

hall blazed

hameless clo

contemptuous stares

really Cynthia? Th

s for money. What a w

ging my heavy legs to t

at the head

s, dressed in a custom white

r mouth as she laughed sweetly. "Killian, you're

old and rigid. "If she's here to

"Begin your show. Do

began to move, ignoring the

e floor. Spun in circles

ggered waves of l

k at how pat

rder nex

g for the very people who had on

ian's arms, a glass of red wine

ut cruelty glittered in her eyes. "But dancing alone is bo

diamond-studded heel shot out an

crashed hard o

y inner pocket slipped free

y mother

ledged ourselves to each other, he had

it b

it like I'd l

heel was

letto came down h

and the photograph of my mother in

sharp shou

ot to his feet. His eyes locked onto the shattered piec

you to t

ognize

l remem

hing hope ros

are you yelling

ged. Yet the tip of her heel pressed harder into

a dead woman. Keeping it only brings

you say?

d down at me

y believe your murderer mot

skipped v

are you

hone and shoved the scr

ood look,

graph of a dea

-Serena

ath-Three

months

my head wildly. "Killian showed me the surveillance!

augh. "That was just looped footage. On

fe support was pulled three months ago when the hospital bills went unpaid. Her body

htning had split

d died three

og, selling my dignity for a few thousand dollars, nearly poiso

ll been

past three months had been nothing

lian

ook at the man seated

Alp

nly

all along,

e first time, a flicker of panic crac

thia

not d

eady shattered heart like a r

I had never even

hing me struggle and degrade mysel

. hah

ted la

hrough the greasepaint on my face, warping the

that had kept me

her wa

f love and illusion I still c

ard me instinctively. "Listen to

." I cut

ded neither his expla

wly from t

eling. No long

breath. "You've won. You finally killed the

destroyed ever

r wanted h