na walked into the mast

r marble vanity, next to her expensive French perfu

invasion. A flag plante

ound the plastic. She walked to the trash can a

edar trunk at the foot of her chaise lounge. Inside were relics from her life before Gifford:

around a young man with a wide, easy grin. Alexzand

way, convinced it had no place in

memories anymore. That life was over. But

ifford had left for the office. The staff m

Stanton Family: A Guid

library. She remembered Gifford's words as he gave it to her

been so

. A Stanton wife shows compassion, but maintains a dignified distance. She d

en following

a lighter from a silve

at the edges before catching flame.

he crisp pages, the rigid rules that had governed her life. Th

il it was nothing bu

tchen instructing the chef on the

just called. He said his grandmother is coming for dinner tonight. He wants me to make her favorite

small, handwrit

ta added, a flicker of feigned sympathy in

the household, a connection to his family's history, while making Adriana

injury came

was seated at the head of the dining table. Gifford was at her right, Jov

apple crumble. The matriarch took

he said, her voice thick with nostalgia

d over Jovita's. "Jovita has

felt i

iarch was preparing to le

ant to have Jovita here," the old w

ropriety," Adriana answe

r saved me from a terrible accident. This family is forever in her debt. We

ta was under the family's p

simply

bedroom alone. The room was d

fr

k red splash of wine stained the white duvet

the dresser, its contents

d against the silk, was a

hers. It wa

claration of war. A deliberate violatio

in her chest. For a mo

over her. The shock turned

the broken wine glass. She closed her hand around

It was sharp. It

here was no going b

ded to