ery

elt a strange mix of exhaustion and li

finally home and told her everything that had happened at Stone Hol

hone aside and started pulling the last of my books f

later, the d

h two bags of takeout balanced in her arms an

declared, setting ever

ight from the containers. I told he

r with every word. When I finished, she pulled

g any time," she said grim

nnounces Deepened Partnership with

pective." It was accompanied by a photo of her and Jagger in his office, him leanin

igned to scream intimacy while main

aration. Kaitlyn was

ace I no longer recognized. The last bit of warmth in

anding that close to her, looking at her like that, throwing promotions at that idiot

k, my hand steady. I t

me, Chloe," I said. "He's

ked at me

clear. "He does all this, pushes me until I snap and call it off. Then he gets to be the poor,

he pathetic cowardice of his

m the satisfaction," I sa

you goin

up and started packing my design t

t competition. I'm going to make Jagger Stone watch from thousands o

. "Damn right you are. I'll get the s

ups of wine together.

sat alone in the

r smiled back. Happy vacations, celebratory dinners, stolen mome

e, I sele

hit '

d a web browser and found an

public news articles, and found every

Even a blurry, long-lens shot someone had tak

I selected the fast

d in the one for the penthouse.

I let out a lo

this relationship th