nged for

e nurses, gourmet hospit

ly, brief, ster

ng, offer him magazines, th

another performance

throu

to these small gestures, desp

, the one who' d felt Liam' s glass slice his skin, fel

hurricane of efficien

s arm, listened to his sto

ferring to Liam. "And Ava... I always kn

solicitous staff, with a brisk, no-nonsense co

harged, Ava was

llen, avoiding

f his presence was a peace offering.

d something

house," Ava announced. "It'

se, to go to a hotel

gly, nodded. "Fine.

arily displeased

ride w

than and Liam, a

hatter, mostly directed at Liam

bles, occasionally shooting

nthouse, Ava f

ng? I' ll have chef ma

est, Liam. Don

detached observer

oo, her express

iveness over L

he phone, talking animatedly to s

ing by, o

ce tig

, Liam?" she asked, her

Liam said, quickl

end?" Ava

ow," Liam said

e club again," Ava said, her tone leaving n

didn' t argue.

room, the master suite tha

follow

Chloe said, her voice low.

know," Ethan said, sinkin

like an

mbol of his success, his

va and Liam in

he piano, badly. A

, suffocating dynamic drift

d his face

y here. He could

of forced proximity

king on his laptop, coordinating w

him, inviting him to join them for

ween sullen silence

Ethan could

hed. His m

eeding a dri

use was da

e music room, h

t, rhyth

ood ra

Not

d to

door open, slo

most identical t

he chais

ilver

hood phot

ime, Liam

e, on the plush rug at the

Liam' s hair, her fingers tr

look of ecstatic, torm

ring his name,

. oh, L

t just

t a strange co

else. Something deep

felt

ing, his hand over his

room, his heart pound

his brain, more horrifyi

e truth of

h of Ava

to ge

o