ra

the second day,

weighing a small black velvet box in my

or four generations. Lucien had given it to me for safekeeping during the war

tten to ask

e papers underneath the ri

m, nursing an espresso. Weariness was etched into

ou feeling

er,"

x on the table

is t

But you can't open it until tomo

e that used to bring me to my knees. He p

," he said. "I will

d up to

e interc

he speaker, tight with panic. "We have a situ

. His eyes d

rked at the interc

, Boss. She says... she say

face we

d very

said, turning to me. "Go

calmly. "Is m

o!" he

d out to

I went to the window o

nes. She was waving a manila envelope. Lucien was trying to qui

e window ju

screamed. "Look at it! I

n't just stop

so

dragging her. He took the env

r evaporated, instantly repla

eached out, his hand hovering over

kely I could conceive due to the stress and a hormonal imbalance.

l

the Holy Grail. She carried the b

lled to his guards. "Now!

the smirk she flashed at the h

car. He looked protective

house, pulling out h

g twice befo

I have to go. The Romanos are

I rep

for a few days. Stay i

I said.

you,"

ye, Lu

ung

to the ca

y phone buzzed. A

econd photo-Lucien kissing Sophia

has a real woma

I didn't feel pain anymo

ight hours systematicall

my photos. I wiped the laptop. I packed a single s

t the furs. I left the wed

re Day

aining.

. He's going to legitimize us.

ed a

e the life you so desperatel

he SIM card out of my pho

ver. I walked out the service entrance. The guards were chan

ed into

" I

. Mary's Cathedral,

ut the tin

aring white-a cream suit. He was holding an umbrella ove

ng her into h

caught the umbrella, jerk

ked onto the

stared right at where I was sitting. He frowned, a lo

o

d my he

't loo