a

k in the passenger

th a focused, suicidal velocity, heading

roaned under his grip, the stitchin

essed about saving Serena

broken wing. The armed guards in the corridor, men paid to be immovable, flattened themselv

f the lobby in a few long stri

he demanded of the duty nurse, his v

ed behind t

ped out into

f the Family-a man who had resi

ed at the sig

ou doing he

ecting an aura of da

sister-in-law. Get ou

ut a harsh, b

showing up here playing

the counter, stopping

be found when Nia a

d, caught

d in stark, unfe

mean, dying

earched L

ne bewilderment

ffed, shaki

on her. She deserved better than a m

walked away down the corridor, his

tood

sciously clench

ear began to sho

roat, the small sound cr

Fal

his attentio

y three years ago

upils d

fists onto the

mpossible!

epping back against th

ing to steady, though

Family-funded clinic

ing finger at the

single month. Serena told me las

y, leather-bound ledger

e counter, opening it

Chloe were severed three years a

n at the neat

alcone. We had to relegate her

ling finger to a specific

ello cut off the

"Every month, like clockwork, we would receive a statement showing the funds had cleared. We did not rea

ermination notice. Serena's elegant, looping sig

a venomo

r took over Leo

of Serena's betraya

ken his vo

ade a harsh, rasping sound against the polished linoleum as he collapsed, his weight s

d, his fingers digg

shook violently as

er how Serena could

hed hi

lt no pit

same bloodstained cloth, p

up from t

extinguished all other emo

om his pocket and dial

ediately," Leo ordered, his to

muffled question t

Serena's pending fede

oke on the n

to apologiz

phone and ran b

his foot

ay from the curb, narrowly missing a delive

, pale profile from

through red lights as if they were

ogy meant nothing

years too late to deliver. And somewhere in the penthouse, Serena was already scra