filled with the phantom smell of burning wood and the

cal bleach forced its way into her nostr

slowly blinked them open. The blurry shapes above her sharpened

er left arm yanked to

rail with a thick, white medical restraint. An IV needle was ta

yanked her arm, the restraint

lack of designer heels echoed on the marble floor outside

wearing a flawless Chanel pre-fall tweed suit. Flanking her we

nna. "Oh my god, Candy. Is this the crazy woman who went missing? She lo

right in Deanna's face. "I'm sending this to the group chat.

tre

eardrum. Her chest heaved. She glared at them, her throat too

d. She looked down at Deanna, her eyes shin

I sleep in your bed," Candy whispered, so low the other women couldn't hear. "I

against the bed, throwing her entire body weight sideways. The sudden movement yanked the IV tube tigh

ed and jumped back, h

n the nurse call button. "Get in her

nge, but before she could approa

was immaculate, not a sin

falling rapidly. Her eyes begged him to tell the truth. To tell the

rm, pouting. "Joseph, this crazy woman jus

na's hand. He stared at it for exactly one second bef

He needed the Riley family's money. He nee

silence was the final nail in Deanna's coffin,

tion vanished, replaced by an icy, hollow void. She fin

ve," he ordered, using his authority as a board m

threat, "I will use every judge I own to have you permanently committe

er. She felt a surge of bile rise in her thro

ped, her voice devoid

eyes. He adjusted his tie, turned his back on her,

broken only by the steady beep of the heart monitor. Dea

her eyes

morized their patterns. At exactly 11:45 PM, a code blue alarm blared from the opposite end of the VIP wing. The sudden chaos drew the heavy footsteps of the floor's security detail and the prim

il. She pressed the thick plastic buckle of the restraint against the sharp metal edge. Gritting her teeth against the agonizing pull on her bruised wrist, she began to saw the plastic

ed to her hand and ripped it out. Blood immediately welled up, dripping on

g linoleum floor. She opened the small closet. Inside hung a gray utility jack

walls, avoiding the red glow of the security cameras, and pu

he hit the ground floor and slammed her

hit her face. Deanna stepped out into the black, sto