et. By the time Seraphina arrived at the apartment building, her friend was already waiting at the entran

th the scent of turpentine and coffee. Canvases leaned against the walls, and books occupied every avail

at the lounge. Holly's face tightened with anger, while Seraphina pulled the $107.82 from

," sh

spun a

ous. You don't ne

firm. "This is the first money I've earned for myself

in her eyes, Holly sig

sofa that would soon become her bed. Taking out the new phone she had just bo

worked her way down the list name by name, like a calm and methodical executioner carrying out t

ne connected to them. She did the same on Facebook, removing tags from photos going back four years and methodi

was done, her digital world felt clean a

im. He couldn't stop wondering what she was doing or who she was texting - it had become a habit, an almost ins

not f

nctively reached for her old number before remembering that phone had already been destroyed. He tried the new numb

been

ied by something dangerously close to panic. How dar

g the group chat he sh

hina block

find her prof

hell is

nce and calm he didn't actually feel. "Let her play her games," he

in his stomach like an icy knot, t

"Portfolio." As she scrolled through her designs - sleek, imaginative buildings and elegant, sophisticated residential inter

essed to Katherine Reynolds, partner at one of New

wrote, "I'm bac

junior partner then. She had given it up for Ethan, for a more "flexible" schedule that would allow her to be avai

s ready to

hit

raphina staring intently at the screen. Th

, her laptop chimed with an

wered, her he

decisive, touched with warmth. "I knew you wouldn't stay this foolish fo

and Seraphina cl

that hospital bed, a genuine smile f