h the darkened streets, tea

ing to cool the burning hum

h felt like swallow

ind: Ethan, her Ethan, with

f intimacy, a final, brutal

ir penthouse, h

mbol of their shared future,

Ethan, full of earnest pr

ed to always want h

? Lost, or perhaps he

this man capable of such pr

nment was a cr

ivia arrived, a fr

antique locket nestled

better on me. More... a

leeping now. So peaceful. Afte

churned. This wa

relentless, desi

ey alm

later, feigning surpr

l up? I thought

brace her, but

her voice flat, devoid o

Right. I, uh... I left it with the eng

athetic, almo

iven it to Olivia

," Emily said

ssing room, a cold ca

was over. Now, it w

, his voice laced

t's wrong?

igner handbags, expensive jewelr

his tainted

k them into a se

aw Olivia at a cafe the

ng the locket, o

in momentary panic, t

ggested this cafe, watched from a

oach Olivia, their

o get the locket back,

as not easil

Olivia, his voi

doing, wearing that? I

hould I be? Emily already knows ev

l not ruin this for me. You

It was for his carefully constructed image, his im

, her voice a se

hat, Ethan. You

finger dow

oment, his anger war

by alleyway, his mouth finding

disappear, a bitter

atiable appetite, was

y began her prepar

confirming the final deta

– designer bags on TheRealReal, je

sh, was wired to the acco

rities her mother had support

rs, deleted photos, er

she dismantled the life she

p towards her freedom