ly a whisper,

eyes n

did yo

is grandmother falling, the sound of t

the early da

like a fairytal

id fry oil clinging to him, a constant reminde

, a vision in Chanel, o

oked at him with an inte

, not with pity, but with a s

it was...

m, showered him wi

e grease and grime,

pered to him on their wedding nig

a trailer park. I saw somethin

. Locked i

m scent for him, somethi

diner smell," she'd said

where he came from, and

nce, her promises a car

irytale was

ess was a

her voice rising. "You

fear was still there, bu

ad again, more

e man who had helped orchest

e contorted

ch! After everything

up, a pained expr

weak but smooth. "Don't be angry wit

Ethan with fa

tress. But what happened to me... it was te

ld a glint of malice.

er concern for Julian ov

illing to forgive you. And y

. "Don't worry, my dear.

on Ethan again,

ve me no

arge security guards, always l

d tenement building

of the many Vanderbilt proper

what was in t

ce, a cruel "tour" of her fa

es, damp, and filled with

the

cay, and something else...

cid

his nightmares, the trigger

oss, the taun

e knew it wo

the stutter threatening

P-please!" but his han

s grabbed

cky, a silent p

aze with a ch

you'll remember your place. You

s dragged

descended the rickety stair

tale grease, decaying

the sharp, acrid sme

. His heart hammer

ries flo

ering face of his boss, the feel

ring him, taunting his stutter, sh

re, a terrified

him into a small,

ging from the ceiling ca

kittered acro

shut, the lock cl

as a

his g

the

sping for breath, his bo

at bay for so l