as a cold chill crep

was now standing in front of her, deliberately

picable. There was no

ocked his outstretched hand aside. "Don't touch me,"

ded upstairs. This place no longer fe

en the master bedroom door,

Dennis had come back. H

at the necklace resting against her collarbone. It was exact

really had no shame, giving the same gift to

gaze dropped to Melany's hands, and her expressi

emanded, rushing forward, only to come up

h with practiced ease. A thin, mocking smile curved her lips. "So you wrote a

hich was the only reason she had been able to impers

. In truth, she understood very little, and everything she had built rested on a lie. She could

tened her tone, trying to reason with her. "You already have everything yo

t had never been published, but its value to her had nothing to do

eans so little, why do you care so much?" she said. "Tell you

d through clenched teeth, he

Then I suppose I'll just burn it." She pulled a lighter fr

an cried out i

teen, she'd been caught in an accidental fire-and the sm

chest tighten. But losing that paper...

she said, her

ade bending painful, each mo

t her attention never left Melany

he moved. She lunged forwa

ked back with a sharp mechanical sound, putt

Melany said, her voice turning cold. "Interesting. I

ng the edge of the paper almost immediately. Wit

fire spread, the sight sending

quickly. There was

er, she rushed forward and stamped at the flames, bit

f the pages were already gone,

laugh. "What a pity. It was

if Dennis saw it now, there would b

y gathered the fragile, charred remains. The l

ir in her eyes faded, replaced by something colder, sharpe

ard, slamming the wheelchair back against the

n that moment, anger d

olding the flame to Melany's carefully styled hair, the

aught almo

st the wall, unable to move, Melany sc

the scene in an instant, his expression tur

ut it was already too late. A large section of Melany's ha

as she sobbed uncontrollably. "She tried to burn me

he floor with a dull sound. Ignoring them both, she

up, she met Dennis's gaz

him like this once-wh

d been aimed at the men who hurt h

ly, as though something ins

Jillian said, her voice flat,

omething absurd. "Melany is terrified of fire," he said