seeping into her bones, until a vibration against her hip start

her call. Her fingers trembled as she accepte

worry. He had been at the party. He had seen ever

A sob caught in her thr

tay right there," he said, his to

an stood there, his face etched with concern, a simple canvas bag in his hand. He must have sweet-talked a secur

walked over and handed her the bag. "I thoug

ver the gentleman, turned his back, giving her the privacy of the vast, empty room and a decorative screen to change behind.

l on the dark, angry bruise forming on her wri

weater down, hiding the mark. "Thank

say you're fine? How much longer are you going to

ess laugh escape

our fault! He

o the surface. "No!" she screamed, shoving him away with surprising force. "It i

t fed Julian, letting it contaminate

mask of shock and disbelief. "Se

running from him, from the ballroom, from herself. She just needed to get back to

Maria Kowalski, saw her, her kind eyes full of worry. "Mrs. As

llow nod. She knew.

master suite, and her heart stopped.

eminine space was grotesquely warped by his large, impo

lock had been pr

ed, lunging for it. It was

death. Her fear of Julian. And, buried deep in the earlies

nt. He flipped to a page near the beginning, his eyes scanning the lines.

as everything. Especially Julian's love. Some

words, the innocent, angry scribbles of a t

aving her very soul held up for his contemptuous inspec