was a constant, deafening hum, but t

on me, heavy a

an Vance, my husband, watched

ad once loved so desperately,

was low, calm, which made

ent lay b

ansfer my half of our billion-dollar

h

g so badly I had to

t this together. It's m

't even

is not my con

past him, to the o

ards stood there, holding

ce pale with terror, he

ed her hair ar

sands of fee

" I whispered, m

an't d

, his voice drop

o be taken care of, after everything she'

ett H

the ghost who had haunted our

tragic figure rescued from a suppo

world had been syste

uffering had become a we

ou," I said, a

devotion. Why does she n

he stated simply, as if that wa

t, and more. You were just holding her p

sical blow that knocked

lding h

all I had

bsti

ntil the real t

ses, the life we bu

d at Li

silent tears strea

her since our

world, my only

knew

eatest love as a w

peated, his pati

rds gave Lily

whim

e it was being sq

ed up

unreadable scrawl, a tes

paper acros

ow let her go. Let h

t, his eyes scanning it wit

urt nod to

cond, relief w

as o

was

holding Lily's arm

guard move

shove, they pushed my si

as torn away

zen, at the e

he roar of the engines f

to process what

sn't

ldn't

I br

s a faint p

N

ace, but a bodyguard grabbed me from behind, his arm

seated, perfe

ou needed to learn that defiance has conseq

d frac

s Lily's terrified

d hear was

istic sound ripped

st the guard, bu

kille

ature and then he ha

of my vision, a single, cold

year together, a time

lett, the love of his lif

ried in

believing I was hea

new the

ling, he was

bandage he used t

o, and I crumpled to the f

his suit jacket, and walked p

me in with the ghost of my si

a tiny, defiant spark ignit

aken eve

y company,

t he had

escent, I made a silent pr

surviv

ld es

uld make

phone, hidden in the

ped a single word to a secure n

, the one bodyguard who had quit

o