in Greenwich was a ma

aff used. The house smelled of lemon polish and old

et. She needed to scrub the night off her skin. She needed to wash away the sc

o scalding. She stood under the spray until her

nd wiped the stea

er neck. Faint, purpl

at her reflection. "S

dab it on, layering it thick. She was just

n wal

kin pale and clammy. He was wearing the same suit

he hated, a conditioned response t

e was busy loosening his tie, his movements jerky and agit

espite the hammering of her heart. "I took a cab home ea

he had rehears

Always the victim

ard the bathroom. As h

cra

ear. A thin, angry red line. It wasn't a shavin

it. "What happe

turally still. His hand slowly came up to

esterday morning," Vesper p

; they were calculating. "Stop interrogating me

d the bat

e ringing in her ears. She was

ne buzzed on

at it. The s

ge fr

hitched. She too

illing me, baby. I need y

tilted o

woman the tabloids called a genius, the woman who

ng si

asn't just cheating. He was starting a family. A fa

stepped out, a towel around his

his movements tight, and snatched the device from the dresser

things," he said

said, raising her

said. "I have to

a Su

't sleep, Vespe

hed pa

front door slam and the roar of hi

e had cried enough

end of the east wing. There was a dusty storage room there, filled with old fur

f old paintings and pressed a

icked

a closet. But it was hers. A keyboard, a l

ition sheets. The raw, messy first drafts of the hits that were currently topping the charts. They were un

She didn't open her music software

Harper, her contact in

edit card statements. Everyth

ply was ins

in par

n of her own eyes in the black

,* she typed. *