rs outside were her audience, the source of her

the back!" she screeched, her carefully c

ntique vase standing by the door. It toppled over, exploding on the m

slowly, deliberately, rolled up

ed scars and tiny, clustered pun

s dangerously low. "These marks aren'

om every time your precious daughter needed blood. E

tried to hide her own wrists, a subconsciou

m, her voice gaining strength. "And for twenty years, I haven'

book from his jacket, scribbled furiously, and tore out a check. "Here," he grunted, throwi

then back at his face. She laug

d it into a dozen tiny pieces. She threw the

isn't f

as cracked from Ilda's assault, but it stil

transfusion. I don't care if her vitals are low. Malia needs it before

front door. The reporters had he

everything alr

with terror. Her 'Philanthropist of the Year' awar

"all your fancy parties, all of it was

g horror on his face. He wasn't marrying

tive liar!" Malia screamed, he

for two weeks. I was too sick to give you a transfusion. Weren't those the two weeks you told everyone

washed over Malia. She swayed on h

nstinctively let go. Malia crumpled to

echoing in the cavernous room, "the health of this f

in you! My lawyers will bury you

and flicked it onto the coffee table. "Good luck with that. What you've done constitutes decades of illegal confinement and medical abuse. The f

ire ship sinking, began to sid

y called out without turning. "As an accom

, her strength gone. The grand living room was a

r battered backpack, and wa

king int

it was pulled open from the ou

mbling, had

f men in impeccably tailored black suits. They radiated an aura of

he room. His sharp, intelligent eyes scann

o Addison or Ilda

iss... Miss Odom...

of confusion crossed her face, the first crack in her armor