ra

out of the restroom, not back to the ballroom, but towards a service exit that led to the

ath coming in ragged, shallow spurts.

ing," she said, her voice sick

, gleaming white yacht was moored at the end of the pier, its deck filled with laughing, champagne-sipping guest

balance alrea

With a vicious shove, she sen

er, the cold a brutal, suffocating blanket. Panic flared as my dress,

or help. Instead, with chilling calculation, she took a step back, slipped on a wet patch, and tum

omebody,

ht's deck. People pointed,

ce pale with terror. He vaulted over the rai

ared, his voice crack

ng. The crew threw down life preservers

m at a time!" a deckhand yelled over the w

ce. A life-or

ut, struggling against the weight of my clothes, my throat closing, my vision

tate for a sin

ng a shaking finger at Ca

hysical blow. It echoed in the vast, emp

nding perfectly beside Candice. I saw the crew haul her onto the dock, into Brooks's waiting arms.

nce looked

pulling me down into the silent, black depths. It was almost peaceful. An end to the

ng of a machine and the smell o

he said softly. "A coast guard patrol found you. Hypothermia, anaph

ls. "Should I call your family? Is t

any family,"

arents had abandoned me. The system had shuffled me along. And now Brooks, the man I thoug

could hear the murmur of voices from the next room. I could hear Brooks's low, s

d a note. He didn't even ask a nurse how I was d

istant, a young man named Mark with apologetic ey

to meet my gaze. "He's arranged for this to cove

check for one hundred th

to him. "I don'

ked past him, my eyes empty. "Where is he?"

ft for the Caribbean this morning. The doctors

land with her, while I was being

rs. I felt nothing. The pain had been so great, so absolute, that it ha

yphone on the corner began to ring. It rang and rang, a shrill, insistent sou

el

voice was unfamil

es

We're calling to confirm your appoint

of my plan. My e

teady for the first time