a tight ball on the small sofa in

ds, she pushed herself up. Her joints ached. She walk

e assistant, was standing by the

ired her to fulfill her duties as his wife one last time. She was to attend the family

to survive. She swallowed the bil

anged into a conservative bei

Dominic was already sitting on the opposite side. His

seat was wide enough to fit a third person. The

cture of the Long Island estate. A butler in a unifor

e elders of the Thompson family were alrea

s a suffocat

openly mocked Adelia's Appalachian background. They brought up

rly. She loudly proclaimed that Carly was the only woman wit

e. She methodically cut her steak into

led the red wine in his glass. He watched his family

rom his pocket and be

ut of the corner of her eye. The name "

situation. She placed her knife a

ng lunch fi

pitch black. A massive thunderstorm broke over the island. Rai

overed portico. The driver had pulle

ked down the steps toward the open car door. Adeli

d the cold metal o

his head and looked at her. His ey

he sound of the

nger had the right to sit in his car. He told her

r the portico, instantly soaking the hem of her beige skirt. Sh

nted window rolled up smoothly, completely

y tires hit a deep puddle, sending a wave of fre

nformed her that the estate was closing to visitors. He phy

clanged shut behind

ountain. Taxis did not come here. Adelia pulled out her phone, but t

king down the steep, winding aspha

her. The wind pus

thin heel of her shoe jammed into a crack in the aspha

ing pain trave

th shoes, and threw them violently into the wet grass. She continued walking barefoot on the rough, jagged asphalt. Small stones and broken twi

d to her skin. Her lips turned a bruised purple. Her entire body shook uncontr

e main highway at the

slowed down. The driver, an older man with a weathered

sh and damp earth. She wrapped herself in a scratchy wool blanket the d

outside the Manhattan penthouse building. Ade

ody through the opulent lobby, ig

the apartment, and walked straight

p, battered suitcase from under the bed. She s

granted access to the penthouse-the symbol of the Thompson famil

alked out the door and pressed the button for the lobby