ed out of the heavy ir

tep onto the sidewa

across the lanes and parked horizonta

stopped in their tracks, pulling ou

rear window

back seat, her face a mas

Eleanor snapped

d the rear door, stepping into Ayla's path

t the peeling paint of the St. Jude's sign, then lo

watching students. "You throw away a marriage to the Redding family to come rot

of her backpack. She let

llman name anymore,

r designer purse, pulled out a stack of ban

e you is gone. When you're starving on the streets next week, d

ith rage. She stepped fo

ross Clotilde's ches

low step forwar

over the older woman. The lazy, bored aura vani

er lips were inches

Thorne," Ayl

h hitched audibly. The color drained from h

her voice a soft, venomous hiss. "Or perhaps you should ask yourself if the hush money you paid him was truly e

d in sheer terror. He

t the underground casino in Macau.

of the Tillman family. If the academic fraud and the gambling d

o sound came out. She looked at

Eleanor choked out,

ance between them. She shoved h

, her voice loud enough for the front row of students to hear. "Beca

hadn't heard the whispers,

stand. She didn't say another word. She pra

screamed at t

lack tire marks on the pavement a

her mouth hanging open. "What magic s

ilde's hair. "I just reminded her

ehind a delivery truck, a m

ong telephoto lens had captu

p, selected the photos of Ayla stand