The Dangerous Bargain

sun. Adeline Monroe's awareness clawed its way back from whatever void had

hispering

eone said - her sister

to her. A cool hand stroked her forehead, ever so

ice cracked like thin ice.

. The world swam into focus - the familiar canopy of her bed, th

arched. She swallowed pa

glance with something in it

word weighed. "During the announcement. You'v

Adeline's mind before memory slammed

ace. The name that had made her

n Bla

llow. "Please tell me it was a nightmare," she whispered, gl

r. Reginald Monroe lingered in the doorway, the lines of his face etched d

 his voice like crum

rong," she whispered, so that her lips barely moved against Adeline's skin. She and

espite the vertigo threatening to

grandmother that hung on the wall opposite. "The contract was signed yesterday. The a

ounded animal. "That's... that's im

the wild desperation she read in them stilled her. "You think I wanted this

voice now sounding stronger, emboldened with a sl

he old man he was quickly becoming. "You don't know exactly what he

ight him! Surel

ace, visibly fighting his way back.| "Nothing," he repeated softly. "We are beggars pretending at wealth, Ad

e after wa

e words feeling far away from her m

lock tomorrow. Be ready." He paused at the door. "And Adeline? Put on the pearl necklace

rped outside her window. Someone, somewhere in the house, was p

sixteenth birthday, skimming her fingers over the delicate designs of flowers and v

ea was too monstrous, too ridiculous, and a bu

n child, the shark, the boy who had doubled his grandfather's fortune before he

s were described as cold an

er body coiled around itself like an injured animal. She cried until sh

go. She walked to her dressing table and looked at her reflection - pale skin, red-r

er reflection, "it appears you

Inside, resting on blue velvet, was her grandmother

rs froze