in the heavy blackout curtains. Ellery

urned on the cold water. She splashed her

ted against the

It was a text me

the top fertility specialist on Park

lipped the phone over, placing

ed ringing loudly. The caller ID s

or three seconds before slidi

drifted through the speaker. "Ellery, sweetie, please tell me Holl

I cannot control Holland's

s sake. Her medical bills at the Swiss sanatorium are due next month, and they are astronomical. If Garza Group goes under, my hands are tied. I re

o her palms. Her breathing t

ftly, the venom hidden beneath a layer of fake

the edge of the sink until her knuckles turned white

phone and dialed

estate," Ellery said, swallowing her

before Goldi

-necked black suit. She applied a thick layer of concealer to

obey him now. She walked out of the building and hailed a yellow ca

oward the double mahogany doors. Ellery walked in. Holland was sitting behind his massive desk, signing documents. He didn't offer her a seat. For twenty agon

oldly, his eyes raking over her conservative suit. "My mother is hosting a

. Stepping back onto the bustling Manhattan pavement, she took a ragged breath. She hailed another

studio open, her receptionist rushed

client in the fitting room," the recepti

ather bag to her assistant and wa

itting on the velvet sofa. She was flipping

riumphant, nasty smile

ce and tossed it onto the glass coffee table. "I

blank. She walked into the room

Ellery said in a monotone voi

k a step closer, invading

left," Crystal whispered, her eyes gleaming w

ut she kept her face perfectly still.

ntinued loudly, making sure the staff outside the

he other designers peeked thro

it would ruin her studio's reputation. She needed the mo

cket and pulled out her

her arms in the air, looking around

were ice cold as she wrapped the t

Crystal sneered, looking down at Elle

. She just pulled the tap