he was walking until the c

the ballroom fa

laug

appl

vo

l disap

image r

ding behi

her hai

ng the

around Seraphina's neck so

her's n

's last gi

ntrance and wrapped he

ght wa

it was

. Wr

look

s already openi

leaving

back towar

N

t

to sit in that

getting

cour

er stepp

here for an

ano

hing fina

yb

e was an e

ia had bo

d taken it to

yb

o

osed h

aking exc

ng she had d

he forg

he cancel

he work

e chose wo

s always

an expl

another

ened h

toni

and walked

***

looked exac

hed, drinki

as giving

s str

e had just

d hadn't

d across

Lydia w

ling settled

dn't k

ply fol

d past th

e aucti

the t

e corridor leading tow

as q

st e

wed her

ic

e was

d one of them

v

d before t

not to wear

a la

she wouldn

't notice

her fingers cur

wered he

think it

wasn

if she

lau

confiden

neckl

es

r she misplac

aughed

something ins

the apartment for that

y dr

y ha

jewelr

searched

checked un

bered tha

she

where it was

spoke

st felt

shoul

bout yo

pa

Evan

igh of a

tired of answering

aphina because

hoed through

didn't

did Se

conti

oesn't

sn't que

sn't mak

ckled

never

t the air lea

t ye

of trying to

to unde

o keep t

be the e

to be

oticed a

sacr

comp

swallowed her

loved he

mply coun

spoke

ke her

ha

lone

shr

comfo

ot the sa

esn't

e remain

would destr

eputa

com

would ask

tors woul

ughed

o

getting d

said n

did Se

ally un

ver been

een conv

sn't h

f his carefull

her

r poss

ected to remain exac

own at her w

wly

ipped

ed in h

t time in ei

elt strang

her fingers

stepped

ie

efu

them hear

***

traight past

recepti

e photo

idn't

r hurried

. Wr

the rear do

me som

e, m

d back at

ht l

iful

ect

N

into t

t dr

ver hes

uld you l

through t

led out

ne person she wa

ret C

la

ne rang

ret sp

Sera

s a brie

ything a

N

oice surp

unded

ca

d a di

idn't ask

an you

row mo

ear my s

nk y

ded th

at her through t

a'

out at the

the Grand Re

hot

es

nt to go ho

iver n

cour

led away fr

the bal

t was stil

ade the first decision that would