acle just

oked as if they had wit

s if they ha

patient beyond help, looked as though they

was ove

trated, continuing to massage and pre

lla's blood pressure and

ousness, her breathing was regular, and

d dead was now in

ed, pointing at Marissa, her w

dumb. When had she developed suc

n the room felt both h

asking, "Miss Nash, from whom di

Marissa answered, making up a simple explanation to avoid any complicat

ed the earlier sense

one as critical as Arabella with basic ac

ust be out o

truck it incredi

om the crowd, Marissa meticulou

kled down her cheeks-she

d she hadn't rested at all. Instead, she endured

pe the sweat from her cheek. Marissa tur

gratitude, almost as if he was t

ch closeness, Marissa

els, can

you've had some sleep," Connor suggested, his voice u

she truly was, Marissa a

sked, "Could I have m

then swiftly pulled her phone from

r phone and followe

tside, the sky hinting at

in an adjacent building and im

own the next day to get married. With her phone off

s without her phone, it was b

ls and dozens of texts gr

k to reassure him that she would meet him at the

hanged. Before meeting Derek,

r first marriage into her second, and sh

od night's rest, and then s

e climbed into bed an

in the same building, ten

ssistant, stood before him, deliv

forced her to drop out of school shortly after beginning high school to start working, contributing to family expenses. She left her village at fifteen, wandered through various towns, and se

had already prepared himsel

and he, under orders, had searched the entire city, ending up at a small flo

ared a resemblance and

ed his boss in a sign

had approved of, was despised by Conn

g more than a high school dropout with a q

low to his b

se to let go of Connor, he feared that even sacrificing

onsibilities and am prepared to face w

iet that one could

g time, repeatedly examining the

-to-ceiling window, staring out at the clouded sky. H