tment of her canvas bag closed when a soft

ask of blank indifference. She walked over and twis

owder-blue couture dress that hugged her perfectly.

pen wide. She lunged forward, aiming for a

half-step backward, her hands shove

mile freezing on her face. For a fraction of a second, pure, venomous hatred flashed in Bl

red, her lower lip

ode down the hallway, holding a crystal glass of red wine. She stopped

nose wrinkling. "Can't you smell that? Her chea

her voice dripping with fake sympathy. "Mom, pl

he watched the two of them perform their pathetic

ough the air like a razor, "is a lot better than the

turned a mottl

tive side table. The dark red liquid sloshed over t

bing her manicured index fi

alcohol. "You better remember your place. You are nothing but a scape

eyes we

. She slapped Evelyn's pointing fing

pact sent a shockwave of pain up her arm. She stu

ng the distance between them. Her pres

ra said, her voice dropping to a terrifying, deadly

staring at Sera as if a monster had just crawled out of the

heavy oak door and slammed it shut right in the

's furious, breathless cursing and the sharp c

op out from the lead-lined compartment of her bag and grabbed a pair of black, noise-

rs hit th

ss through a dozen different countries before aiming it straigh

ar firewall shattered under

up Alaric Montgomery's hig

scanning the data. Her medical instincts, honed by years of saving lives on the

ow fur

illness. This wasn't

oison. Extremely rare. Ext

scription history and treatment logs for the past three years. S

off escape

herself. "These quacks are

em, and initiated a secure transfer to

igging into the digital archives for the marriage

re barbaric, essentially binding the bride to Ala

e final page, looki

lungs suddenly felt tight, as if the

gital scan of a wax seal. It was the unique, intricate

r froze on t

save Blythe. This marriage was tied to a contrac

ice. The temperature i

was going to tear down both of these families to