unhurried. She didn't walk towards Julian. Instead, she turned and headed

ossing it to a nervous-looking Brenda without a word, and followed her.

he chair at the farthest possible end from the head of the tab

able a physical representation of the chasm that had opened between them

against the wood was unnaturally loud in the dead silence. She placed a perfectly cooked filet m

fork. He cut into his steak wit

d, his voice a low rumble that was meant to be intim

't even look at it. Her eyes were fix

pe. With a flick of her wrist, she sent it slid

ood, a pale messenger of doom, until it bumped g

ered down to the envelope, then back up to he

air. "A new list of demands? Decided you want a

back was perfectly straight. "Open it," she said. Her voi

yance crossed his features. He snatched the envelope from the table, his fingers tearin

page. He saw the bold, of

e Agre

dden, shocking disbelief. A short, sharp laugh, devoid of any humor, esc

He saw the clauses giving up everything. He saw the final pa

It was replaced by a dark, terrify

his wine glass. Deep red liquid spilled across the white tablecloth and dr

braced on the table. His eyes were bloodshot, his face co

through the cavernous room. "You think you ca

"It's not a threat, Julian," she said, her v

tion-severed the last

ckward, crashing to the floor with a splintering sound. He stormed around the e

too fast. His hand shot out and clamped aro

d her from her chair, dragging he

here is no divorce in this family," he snarled, his voice a low, danger

ut of the dining room, to

e foot scraping against the floor. She stumbled, her ankle twisting painfully as

en, her face ashen with terror.

ven looking at her. The sheer violence in his

free one, her nails digging into t

ain. He just kept pulling her, dragging her up the stairs lik