ess, seeing the surveillance that had always been there and she'd chosen not to notice. The smoke detector in the hallway, installed by "building

and when she went, she kept her eyes down, her movements

ht before. She picked up the broken picture frame, the one she'd thrown in her rage, and she cradled it in her

Listened to it ring once, twice, three tim

I think it's broken, or sprained, I can't walk. Please. I know you're angry, I know I messed up, but please

aking crystal sharp and satisfying. She counted to three hundred

ify. "Stop with the dramatics, Alena. I can practically hear how steady your breathing is fr

smartwatch he'd given her, the one she'd stopped wearing, and realized with sick certainty that the a

whine higher, the desperation mo

. Music. Laughter. The clink of glasses. He was at a party, some industry event, while

nk she was gathering courage, let him be

sper. "In the bathroom. In the bedroom. You put came

er space. When he spoke again, his voice was closer, more intimate,

re, every inch of space you're occupying belongs to me." A pause, the sound of ice in

e recording app, started it running.

was behaving erratically, making threats, attempting extortion?" His voice hardened. "You're recor

now, abandoning the script. "The TMZ thing. You

game too complex for her understanding. "You overestimate your importance, sweetheart. You're not worth a setup. You're no

d with the skill of an actor who understoo

"Let me walk away. I'll sign an

you are. The auction house representative is aski

t on talk shows and in movie trailers, the particular h

ame warm, tender, the voice of a man in love. Then, back to the

an

or his audience. "Someone from the industry. A b

's voice rose, br

Alena. Get

ne wen

g, established nothing. She saved it, her fingers moving automatically, and opened her email a

hovered

was gone. The email draft was gone. The phone displayed only her

he'd typed, every call she'd made, every desperate search for "how to escape abusive rela

lcy. Then she sat on the edge of the tub and methodically destroyed the phone, removing th

'd hidden in a tampon box for emergencies. She put on sneakers, a hoodie, sunglasses

or a living. The one in front-Ronny, she recognized him from Kane's security detail, the one who'd i

dy requested you remain in the

d to l

ing over the handle with gentle, irresistible pressure. "W

er noticed was now sealed with a keypad lock. She thought of screaming, of fighting, of the cameras tha

d Ronny carry it into the apartment and set it b

peration," he said, and

ed with a soun