rmal. And it turns out that despite the swarm of reporters that surrounded the estate for those two days, none of them actually saw

from her unfinished portraits, the tiny window that leaked whenever it rained. But now, e

her.She sat at the small dining table with her sketchbook open, though she hadn't drawn a single line in hours. Beside it lay a pile of unpaid bills - hospital s

lung around his ribs, watching her with quiet worry. He loo

't continue my treatment" he said softly. "Said until

lms against her eye

y that." His v

it costs you more

ar splashed through a puddle, headlights swee

n. Damon Hale. He's not

ze above the

g on the counter said otherwise. She could

nt the truth buried? Then sign the contract

ed flat beneath a chipped mug.It looked like any ordinary piece of mail but it

. "You're not actually t

ear, and the papers slid out-perfectly crisp,h

orary legal identity of Amara Duches

rs trembling as she flipped to the signature line. Beneath it

en

room, his expression a mixture of fear and disbeli

h the press calling me a criminal, not with people

u were protected from the pub

, Eli. I'm tired of waiting for so

top it, slicing her name across

ut broken. "You ju

ully as if it might break

et better. We

_

A woman's voice laced with

car will pick you up in one hour. Don't pack much. Ev

htened around the

. "You'll begin o

for a long time, staring at her reflection in the cracked mirror by the

he would stop

_

owed by the weak morning light when a knock came at their apartment door. The mu

e again, firm

into a bun and a driver in a dark suit standing behind her.The woman's face was unread

wan?" Le

us to escort you to the estat

t reall

s sweeping the place without comment. "We'll provide everyt

ession tightening. "She

alked abo

e turned to Clara."Tell your bos

e doesn't ruin people, Mr. Rowa

w "Is that what you c

tween them. "St

se don't make this hard

speration. "You don't have to go, Len? We'll

ked. "We don't have anything left, Eli. Not money. Not options. You ne

ust going to live with him? Pretend to

h hurt more than she'd ima

small now. "Because it looks a

rted, but n

s the slow drip from the kitchen ta

spered, "You hav

"Don't say that. Don

ing to touch his should

said softly. "If you walk out that d

her breath catching, but Clara was alrea

she said, "the

back to her brother. "Plea

the couch, his face turned toward the

-

e blurred i

tinted glass - pale, nervous, a ghost of herself. She had been a lot happier three weeks ago when she never me

our new home,