ed a taxi and returned to her

illuminating a small space filled w

, and violets symbolizing un

oked, traces of K

now stirred only disgust, th

hrough the corridor's corner, and k

verything in apartment 1603 is yours for fr

ner nodded and called his

ionlessly as they empt

t heavy, but lettin

s for t

tian weren't w

ly bare, Kristian rushed in,

..." He trailed off, n

"Evelyn, the flowers we plant

ckery. "Kristian, they're at the junky

ion froze,

ere a ring-another woman's mark-no

lipped off the ring and pocketed

ried in a pink-diamond-

"Evelyn, this is for you. Remember how we used t

h affection, as if n

epped back. "You're sick. You marry Laura in the morning and bring me a

t in, and he dismissed the bodygu

ent. Her family will back me, and my father will add me to the family registry. I'll be a legitimate Dob

three years together couldn

iled faintly, raised her hand, and

crack echo

yn, stop this. If your family had money to he

Wednesdays, and Fridays with Laura, and Tuesdays

ce, searching for th

s to steal him away, he returned her g

bowed but made

pulled a lighter from her bag, li

ned, about to speak, when she star

wn to press the still-lit c

ning filthy things. This dress is as d

the fire to consume the dres

ouse the flames and started to chase

.

father had given her to book

mattress, she fe

she slept on a hard bed and worked as a

o prove their love, to sh

for their children, and

ee the ambition beneath Kr

ess of the city's richest ma

a pebble. She looked forwar