Benn

g pressure in my ches

visible tether had snapped, lifting me up tow

oked

dirty linoleum floor, look

my mouth and my neck, pooling into a stain at the

taring blankly into the d

d to a soul withou

e force dragged my consciousness through the ceiling, past the gray city stre

vaulted ceilings, pouring soft golden light over

e, violinists playe

tailored tuxedos held crystal flu

ld-green satin gown that accentuated her delicate frame; she wa

s arm, smiling sweetly a

earby, their eyes full

ard the entrance with an annoyed frown. "The toast is about to

slamming his champagne flute

up again. She probably thinks showing up

e hadn't taken Claire's place, Claire wouldn't ha

le hardship, and now she'

I listened quietly

ical pain, but I felt a

d gotten greedy, kidnapped the newborn Claire, and sold her, whi

d the so-called "truth" was nothing bu

daughter too, yet I had to be

anded one to Claire with a gentle smile-a gentleness that, in the

o her on the phone half an hour ago. She remained completely silent, deliberately gi

e, looking up at Cooper with

h for the nearby socialites to hear clearly. "She spent three years living in su

a protective, aching h

her repay the upbringing expenses was just to teach her that privilege must be earned. If she has even a shred of conscien

velvet clutch and took ou

as she is willing to apologize and publicly kneel before you to admit her mistakes, I wi

at that

mbered the winte

ped my bicycle

was severel

ercent of my phone b

nnected, I cried out,

the other end was

your debt and trying to trick the

on't work. You owe Claire, and

she hung up

urs, and in the end, I dragged

n't treated in time, it lef

nowed, it ached so badl

nking it could just erase the agony o

anger in

oundless disgust that se