His chest heaved with

mind?" he hissed, his v

of his suit jacket. He glared at her, fully convinced this was

ss to throw a jealous fit ove

bloody hand and wiped a stray t

ur own charm, Francis," she r

the red light above the

the attending physician walked ou

nced. "We've removed the tube. We a

Arianna standing for the la

ision. Her knees buckled, a

out instinctively

is touch as if his skin were coated in acid. S

bed out of the trauma room.

ntirely and followed the

n the hard plastic chair beside the bed. She

r click

lle was holding a large, limited-edit

njaman's long eyelashes fluttere

smile breaking across her face. "Benji, baby,"

shrank back slightl

and unfocused from the drugs, and landed on

and unfocused from the drugs, and landed on

ingle red carnation to give to their mother. Benjaman had run straight past Arianna's o

on the cold bathroom floor for three hours, rocking him, singing until her voice gave out. When his g

" He had looked up at her with those big, earnest eyes, the ones he had inherited from his father. "I wish Daddy would come. And Auntie Chanelle." Jus

ransformers box to catch his dazed attention. Drawn entirely by the fam

.." he whimpered,

knife straight into Arianna's ch

ye

while the usurper collected his affection like a debt owed. She had given up her career, her nam

eart together did not simply s

heels clicked against the linoleum as she walked to the sid

a reached out to brush the sweaty hair from his for

ow, his hands in his pocket

ow to calm him down, Chane

the three of them. They looke

was the death of something far more painful. The death of t

buzzed in

m Elias Adler. Atta

ly inserting herself between Francis and Chanelle,

g the glowing screen directly

er tone was as casual as if she were o

he screen. He read the bold

ted sharply. He to

was a bluff, a desperate negotiat

now, Arianna," he ordered, his voic

ed at him wi

your desk by 8:00 AM. I am takin

r head to loo

na sneered. "You can fin

He lunged forward, his large han

going to regret," he threat

arm out of his grip

dy absorbed in the toy, his small fingers tracing

oor. She pulled it quietly shut behind her, the so