nued, his voice bla

ainst hers for a split second. Though she attempted to overlook it, it was suffi

man, something. A quick weakness. It was gone before sh

inquired, dismis

cus on her, but she couldn't say if it was the pressure of h

as low and sha

too clinical and too big. The distance was emotional as well as physical.

urface. Your father's legacy will soon be under our supervision. I

s part of the deal, hearing him say it so harshly made

aid, her voice bare

ed. If anything, it became more difficult. He was solely c

t quarter's reports. I have to know your position. The co

the papers. His last comments made her

o go, he spoke again, his

u cannot es

espise him. But there was something about

. A last effort from her father to clarify himself, to clarify what had caused his downfa

ldn't get rid of the impression that he was mo

something different. Somethi

d vibration jolted her from her reverie.

e first thing tom

t them, especially in their finality, that made her t

ck metropolitan skyline spread out in front of her. She had deci

reality. Opening it gently, she was un

there made he

e's not who you b

hroat. Who had abandoned it?

her. His chill, measured speech cut at her like the sharpest knife, so reduci

er. She had to understand his actual goals. She coul

despite her heart pounding. Her gaze st

xpected this. Melissa, what is it now? His

ing hard. I want solutions. What motivates you to

shing the actual room around them. "You already know the solution," he remarked gently. Melissa, it's not about you. Your f

looked into his eyes, something flared there. A quick glimpse of something primal, somet

, she flinched. Alex was a conundrum shrouded in layers of rage and contr

k before she could speak once more. For the time bein

me hint of normalcy, she looked at her phone. Days had passed since she ha

nce more. An unknown number flashed on the screen. Her stomach

e. The words struck her like a gut punch: "Your darkest secrets will be re

this was, they knew things about her that no one else knew. But the last para