Hartm

the gray Chicago sky. Returning here felt less like

inst my ribs. The silence of the house was heavy, suffocating, a stark c

y knuckles turned white. In the harsh vanity light, the damage was undeniable

s m

scrubbed at the memory, layering thick concealer over the hickey until th

m door sla

nd clammy. He looked nothing like the powerful men of his bl

h his voice lacked true thunder. It was th

the tremor in my hands. "I slept in the guest wing

et onto the bed. "Don't start with your need

rning light caught t

fr

n his skin, disappearing into hi

g? I asked, my tone

hand flying to his ne

entarily eclipsed by a surge of cold clarit

nd the bluster. "You're delusional. Stop

the bathroom and slamming the door.

n a crumpled piece of hotel stationery sit

d out the paper. The handwriting

eed cash for the doctor. And I need that new s

-

left m

singer Joshua had been

ng si

timing wasn't right, claiming the family instability wa

the

hidden. I wrote under the name 'Iris', pouring my soul into jazz lyrics that Joshua sold to the clu

emerged, water dripping from his

d with a speed fueled by pure panic. He snatch

paper onto the dying embers. We watched as the flames curle

her woman's perfume wafted off him. "If you breathe a word of this... remember what happened to you

atches, and walked out the door as if h

the heat of the fire doing noth

ught I was just a hostage, a tr

went to the East Wing, to the dusty storage room that the maids ignore

anct

et music-the originals. The proof. I grabbed a quarter f

ir. I need

barely glanced at the 'trophy wife'. I found the payp

mber I had memo

a victim. It was sharp. jagged. "I need a favor. I need Joshua's bank statements from th

was groggy but alert

eflection in the phone booth glass looki

d. "I'm going to bu