vy wooden door at the end

h, metallic scraping sound

ce like a damp towel, carrying the unmistakable, sour stench of old

bag onto the floor. It

llways outside. The wallpaper was peeling at the corners. The bed in the center of the room was stripped of the estate's standard Egy

ng of heels echo

e frame. She crossed her arms over her silk top,

r chest. "We've just had so many guests lately, and the staff hasn't had time

lked straight to the single, narr

d yanked the blinds up. Dust motes ex

directly into a towering, solid brick wall of the adjacent garage, le

eaned her hip against the w

ncern on the older woman's face. The corner of C

l. "It's perfect. It's actually quieter than the roach-infe

ed. The muscles in

h she could use to prove to George that his bastard daughter was unh

gh. She reached up and tucked a

es. "I'll have the maids bring up some fresh sheets t

l and practically fl

icked shut, Corrie's r

of compartment at the bottom. Her fingers bypassed the stacks of hundred-dolla

tch. A tiny green l

the room. She moved like a predator, her eyes scanni

ce over the cheap

y in her palm. The green lig

breathing slowed

base of the bedside lamp. Stuck to the underside, no bi

musement flare

ff. She didn't crus

g exactly where it was. If Dean wanted to listen,

ircase. She had changed into a clean, oversized white

n of dark mahogany and glit

y-foot-long dining table. George sat at the head. Kelly an

e, miles away from the rest of them,

s made no sound on the thick rug. She pulled o

was a tiny, intricate portion of seared

. Her eyes were dead, bet

hter sitting in isolation. His throat bobbed. A wave of physi

rk down onto his porcelain plate.

ce thick. "Go to my study. Bring

thick and silent that Corrie could hear the fa

small, worn navy-blue velvet box on a silver

opened

central stone was the size of a robin's egg, surrounded by a halo of flawless, cru

of the table. Her knuckles turned white. Her chest heaved as a sick

outh. She had begged her father for that exact brooch for h

le, his footsteps heavy. He stopped beside Corri

ice trembling. "It is the Warren family heirloom. It belongs t

She had seen better stones cut in

gasp. She d

said. Her voice w

ew her linen napkin onto her plate and shoved her

an ugly, mottled red. "You're giving the heirloom to her

contorting in rage. He slam

eorge roared, spit flying from his lips.

ed Kelly's arm, her fingernails diggi

ting smile. She looked at Corrie, her eyes burning with hatred. "Kelly is just

dn't look

ooch. She didn't handle it by the edges. She grabbed it

she unzipped her canvas bag resting on the

l, heavy clunk, hitting her spare combat boot

watching the disrespect. Dean's jaw clenche

r was eaten in a suff

od up. She grabbed her bag, turned, and walked

north-facing room, C

he leaned toward the nightstand, putting her face

voice to sound whiny and uneducated. "And that blue shiny thing is s

ean sat on the edge of her bed with a

t instantly dissolved. She let out a long, cruel exhale of relie

Corrie's fake whining stopp

led out a slim, deceptively ordinary-looking laptop

he harsh, blue light illuminat

f complex, encrypted code began to vi