e long, silent corrido

st her fingertips. She rolled them up

oak doors at the end o

hind a massive mahogany desk. He was flipping through

nuckles rapped twice against t

n't look u

with the bitter scent of black coffee and the lin

ed it across the polished wood. It slid rapidly,

as if she were a stain on his rug. "Sign th

ment. She flipped open the first page. The legal jar

is personal life. If they divorced, she would

ad chest. He waited for the mask to slip. He waited for the gold digger t

n. She bypassed the middle pages enti

he desk. Without a single second of hesitation, sh

of the pen echoed lou

ne surprise crossed his face, but he qui

o the Finch name," Ferris sneered. "Pl

placed both hands flat on the edge of his desk and l

ned it. Now, please. I need you to use your network

re in the room plummeted. To him, this was the real s

on the desk, leaning in to match her postur

his voice a lethal rumble. "You get the basic me

time! The basic treatment isn't enough. If you

body, scanning the oversized clothes that hid the bruises h

Ferris said, his words dripping with mal

ing into her chest. All the blood drained f

of blood flooded her mouth. She forced her eyes to stay

trange, irritating tightness gripp

. He pressed a button on his intercom. "Alistair. Escort her b

doorway immediately. He g

. She walked out of t

shut behind her, seve

, her legs gave out. She slid down the wooden panels until she hit the

ir in her eyes slowly hardened into a cold, unbreakable ice. She w