n skyscraper. The city sprawled below her, gray and indifferent. Guilford's private attorney s

able. "Reproductive Cooperation Agreement." He

medical clauses and flipped straight to the

e years ago. Five million dollars. The receivi

olently. Acid rose in her th

s voice flat, "the previous five million is forgiven

touch the pen. "I have personal business t

hands shaking so badly she cou

in Queens. She stopped in front of a peeling, rundown tow

key from her bag and shoved it into t

. He was a heavyset man in his late fifties, with a ruddy face, thinning gray hair, and small, mean eyes. Her stepmother

r. "What the hell are you doing here

rd and threw the crumpled photocopy of

cheek. He roared, jumping up with his fists clenched. Then

ith panic. She scrambled to grab the paper. "Th

"Did you sell my sick baby to the Gates family for five

s face went red. "He was a burden! Selling hi

d. She swung her arm and slapped Isiah across

Janey shrieked and lunged at Carissa

grabbed Janey by the shoulders and shoved her hard. J

rner. He raised it, his face twisted in ugly fu

a finger at her own forehead. "Do it. Kill me. Because if you don't, I'm go

s terrified him. He slowly lowered the bat

d for with her son's life. Every ounce of

ble. She grabbed a chunk of her own hair and sliced it

moment. The violent tremor in her fingers slowly faded. Her eyes shifted from the wreckage of her past to the cold, undeniab

opping to a dead monotone. "If you ever come n

slamming the rusted door

ed her head back, refusing to let the tears fall. Sh

onception agreement," sh

e the Gates family's power to ta