ny desk. The office occupied the fortieth floor and overlooked the entire city skyline. This city had once

d Catherine through her designs in detail, explaining

one blunt but not unkind. "You have world-class tale

desk. "Senior Designer. And this is an advance on your

proof of her new beginning. The city no longer seemed quite so hostile. All she needed to do no

é, Scarlett Finch pushed a thick stack of cash a

rom her sweet public persona. "I want her ruined. Drug deal photos, maybe. Make he

elope containing photographs of Seraphina and her schedule,

ve money on a cab, she decided to walk several blocks to the subway st

ould react, one of the men from the café stepped into her pat

, revealing a row of yellowed teeth. "Out all alone

un to run, but the second man grabbed her arm bef

dan glided to a stop at the mouth of the

eraphina was still ignoring him. He had been driving aimlessly through the ci

ruggling in the shadows of the

lt was cold,

e move in her little game. She had hired actors, staged a mugging, all so he would convenien

d the chauffeur

sitated. "Sir

id dr

y, leaving the alley entrance a

ly for the vehicle to pull away without hesitation, abandoning her completely. She hadn't seen who was inside, but the cruelty

coming to

th, smothering her scream. The other pulled out a

f money to teach you

wn hard on the hand covering her mouth. The man cried out in pain

g, but the alley swallowed her voice an