photograph burning behind her eyes. She needed to see him. She needed to look

set and pulled out a cream-colored Chan

favorite Italian restaurant, a peace offering, a desperate attempt to smooth over the cracks that had appeared

ed lobby of the Curtis Group. The security

gn, almost mocking,

rtley's executive assistant looked up in surprise

me lunch," she said,

uter screen, his brow furrowed in concentration. He looked up, and for a split second, a look of

at are you

smoothly, setting the bags down. "I th

iss her cheek. He smelled of his usual sa

or her to sit on the leather sofa

iced elegance. "Hartley," she began, her voice soft, her

him about the baby now. Th

It came from his desk. It wasn't his work phone; it was his personal one, the one he ke

went rigid, his focus instantly

s voice suddenly tight, cutting

too low for her to hear the words, but she could hear the frantic, hushed tone. She strained her ears, and th

up, he turned around, his face pale and his eye

r. He strode past the sof

said, his words clipped. "

e started to say. "Don't

er. His eyes were cold, devoid of any warmth. "You don't know

over his coffee cup, a dark stain spreading across his pristine desk. Hartley

t of the office, taking the staff elevator down to the underground parking garage. Just a

tan street and threw herself into

pushing a crisp hundred-dollar bill through the

man named Sal, nodded. "

white. The Porsche headed uptown, weaving through traffic until it fin

away. Elisha held her breath,

rporate emergency. He looked anxious, expectant. He walked toward the sid

white dress, her long dark h

e vanished. He reached out and gently patted the woman's shoulder. She turned and naturally, seamlessly, linked her a

physical knife twisting in Elisha's gut. He carefully shielded her head with his h

agged pieces. She had never, not once in their ten years of knowing each

ce cracking, tears blurring her vision a