Rising From Ashes: The Framed Wife's Comeback

can we pl

the silence. Athena Barnes stood in the foyer of the penthou

wering bookshelves filled with art history tomes-all gone. Only a single, stark black e

over her, colder than the

ceiling window. The glittering skyline of New York spread out before him, a kingdom at his feet. H

of her heel echoing unnervingly. "I know you

he had traced with her fingers a thousand times in sleep, was a mask of cold indifference. His

n her throat. This

ifted a hand, his gesture sharp and dism

of papers and a single Montblanc pen

block letters at the top of th

a hollow ache. She took an involuntary step back, her han

voice came out distant, as i

the marble floor was a heavy thud that resonated deep in her

er. His custom-tailored suit smelled of expensive c

" he said, his voice low and de

f the man she married, a hint of the love they had share

arm, her fingers digging into the expensive fabric. "Why? Is this

tige of humanity in his eyes vanished, replaced by pure, unadulterated

der hitting the cold, hard wall.

sharp and ugly in the silent room. "You pushed her off that rooftop balc

thought... he truly believed she was a murderer. The

e cut her off. He snatched the papers from the table and slammed

hear any more of

e with nothing. And Barnes Group, your father's precious legacy

the divorce. Her father's compan

he man she had loved more than life itself. "You can't," she whisper

t of that," he replied,

of nausea washed over her. He wasn't b

ll on the signature line-a space where she had proudly signe

of her, replaced by

ized the cold fury in his eyes, the hard set of his jaw, the u

gging. No

r hand was suddenly stea

na B

finitive. She tossed the pen onto the tab

her voice level, scraped clean of al

licker of something-surprise? regret?-crossed his face. It was gon

ent, folded it neatly, and tuc

ked out. The heavy door clicked shut be