aotic explosion of sketches, fabric bolts, and mannequins. It was a

" she said, immediately real

drawer. She swept the pincushion off the desk, dumping it into a box and pushing it onto a high shelf.

out a hand to touch a swatch of red silk, then

he sighed. "Ju

yons in her desk drawer. She cleared a small space

w me a pic

Ashlie finally allowed herself to collapse into her desk chair. She pul

g once

s thick with anxiety. "How

back to the room. She stared out at the str

ce a tight whisper. "I..

ering breath. "Did he... di

g a circle. She thought of the marriage certificate dropped like tr

ords tasting like glass. "He's...

rden. He was already carrying the weight of the c

Dad. I'll tal

e he could ask an

rters, Warren Bradford stared at the phone in his hand. He looked like a

w had the sickly boy from fourteen years ago transformed into a financial titan

to be about Ashlie. The thou

interrupted

over the intercom, laced with panic. "Ellsworth

d snapped up

idn't expect that person to appear at his office door

d smoothing his hair. He took a deep breath, trying t

lanked by a team of suits-lawyers, accountants, all carrying

t the chairs, straight to the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked Manhattan. He

to Warren, his

ice echoing in the large office. "Let'

insult, a reminder of the trans

but he remained silen

uzzed. She looked down at the screen. A t

Do your job. Also, I'm

cold. He was with h

The phone rang and rang, e

ffice, facing the wrath of the man who had jus

down. Keenen was standing there, a crayon in his ha

ust held onto her skirt, a