tant rumble of the city far below. Clementine stood in the center of the living room

sickness that made her head spin and her mouth water with the taste of bile. She had barely made it th

et of the dress. She blamed the smell of Gisela'

ething else entirely. A tiny cluster of cells dividing and

door sla

sound echoed through the

es were wild, burning with a frantic, dangerous energy. He had

he gala, and when he had finally answered her te

, still in her evening go

o talk," h

out and wrapped around her wrist. His grip was iron, his

voice tight. She tried to pull away, but his hand o

er nose. The screen was showing a gossip site. Pictures of her from

ook at the comments. 'Sad.' 'Vacant.' 'Like a doll with the s

stranger staring back at her from the screen. A slow,

tress next time," she said, her voice qu

he had ever talked back to him. The first time she

from cold to blazing. He stepped closer, his ches

h venom. "You are a name I bought. A prop

her hair, forcing her head back. His e

e saw you! She saw that cheap copy standing next to me, and she was dis

Two years of swallowing her pride, of biting her tongue, of smiling through the humiliation-

for another second. If she stayed, she would say things she couldn't take back. She would

ed up to the second floor. She just wanted to get away.

going?" Donovan roared be

ght up to her at the base of the stairs. His hand

urged again, stronger this time, making her vision

are you just jealous? Jealous that you'll never be half the woman Gisela

d out of her, replaced by a hollow, echoing emptiness. H

them. And then, cutting throug

tch. The sound wa

he bag. "Who is that? Who a

tine said, reaching for t

holding out his hand. "You'r

s her lifeline. Debby was the only person who knew th

trying to shield the phone

on the edge of

. A fraction of an in

d. For a terrifying second, she was suspended, her

but he was too slow. His fingers brushed th

ne fell

steps slamming into her back, her ribs, her skull. A blinding white light exploded behind her eye

of silk and broken limbs, until she l

The apartment was perfectly still. Even t

retched, his face a mask of frozen shock. The alcohol haze e

at. But he had caused it. He had

oved slowly, as if walking through water, his

is voice was a

r. Her eyes were closed. Her face was ashen, the makeup

eath the skirt of her silver gown. A wet, heav

oo

breaking. He reached out and touched her

ove. She did

for his phone, his hands shaking so badly he almost drop

1

ng pool of blood. He had seen blood before. He had caused

me in his life, Dono