phin

when I returned, having procured a separate

an old clock on the wall marking two in

appeared. His suit jacket was gone, his white shirt unbutton

Julian asked, his voi

ched to brush a strand of hair from my temple. It wa

d weary,"

cause Elena might be watching from the hall, or because he needed to reassert ownership over his prope

" I said. I took a step back,

d to flint, I drove to the industrial distr

Val was waiting. She was my confidante from university, my personal sol

," I said, setting m

me. "Sera, you are married to the Don of the Falcone

claim on territory, no alimony, not a single note from the Falcone tre

. "Forgoing his assets is the only move that pr

's jagged skyline. "My o

e W.E.N. Network. You've been building it directly be

papers by ni

sun bled across the horizon, casting lon

mother-in-law, was seated on a velvet divan. She was laughing,

saw me. Her expression curdled in

ng a servant. "Go to the kitchen. Prepare a plate of fruit for

e poison. "Oh, do not trouble her, Carmela. I am certai

red no

and staircase, their whisper

arrived with, were stored. I did not touch the rows of couture gowns or the velvet boxes of jewels. I packed only my w

atches on the s

heavy luggage bumping against m

. Her eyes fixed on the luggage, widened,

is?" she demanded, steppin

aid, my voice as devoid of hea

shriek, her carefully constructed compos

Do you truly belie

st proprietary hand on the older woman's shoulder. "It is all right, Mother," Elena

alked until I stood directly bef

now," I whispered. "T

y destination the he

the cavernous hall. "You step through that door, S

air struck my face, a clean, sharp

would n

s waited on his desk like a dormant bomb. And deep in my womb, the phantom ache of wh