only for Corrie, yet her eyes scanned the room, ensuring the audience was captivated. "You'

epest insecurities. The murmurs from the staff and other customers grew, a

The pain in her stomach was a low, cons

d, her voice lo

"And if I don't?" She was enjoying this, savoring t

another word. She

els, stumbled backward with a startled cry. Her crocodile Birkin ba

ng, which Corrie had just taken

the gleaming floor. It made a series of sharp, crystalline sounds as

swung open. A pair of gleaming, hand-stit

ed directly i

tate. The polished black shoe came

ing and a priceless gem being ground into the floor. It wa

ped up. Her h

layton L

ference. He looked down at the ring beneath his foot as i

: Clayton on one knee in a field of wildflowers in Tuscany, slipping this very ring on her fi

ushed under his heel. It was the most brutal, d

nsformed. Her face crumpled into a mask of distre

nting a trembling finger at Corrie. "She pushed me!

shoulders, but his eyes, cold and filled wit

e marble, misshapen and sad. The magnificent centra

ce was colder than the winter wind outside. "Cor

ips. She wanted to scream at him for not showing up,

e out was a holl

the sound ragged. "I'm

s if through water, to retrieve

nlike any she had felt before ripped through her abdomen. It was a

sweat broke out across her forehead, drenching the hair at her

rself on her hands and kne

yton and Bianca, standing together, looking down at

mistress. Their d

rt, her body, and her s

his features for a barest second. But it was gone as quickly as it came, replaced b

-