ight, the clap of thunder so vi

terrifying second, she was back there. The thunder was the frantic shouting of nurse

Damon, standing at the foot of the bed, his face a mask of indifference. In his hand, he

umbling off the mattress and onto the thick rug. Her fingers clawed at t

he cold water, splashing it frantically onto her face. The woman in the mirror was a

sure in her abdomen, the sickening warmth of the hemorrhage. She doubled over,

ill shallow. Her eyes were drawn to the window. Through the rain-s

range embers

there. And h

was dark and silent, save for the storm. She didn't go outside. Instead, she stood in t

f his suit jacket and draped it over her trembling shoulders. The gesture was so natura

s shoulder. It wasn't the posture of a gratefu

it was followed by a profound, clarifying cold. This was not a new

bedroom, but to the walk-in closet. In a locked drawer, beneath a pil

uptial a

the Cooper family line. Her eyes scanned the dense legal text, the words

ge contract. It wa

reet Journal on his tablet. Jasmin was sitting opposite him, wearing one of Damon's dress shirts, the fine Egyptian cotton stark against

her doctor this morning," Damon said, not looking

of her by the silent housekeeper. She picked up her knife and fork and sliced into

ed like

"Of course. Should I com

se in his eyes. It was quickly extinguished.

m so sorry to be taking up so much of Damon's time..."

blocking the nurse who was trying to get a second opinion.

id, her voice smooth as glass. "Taki

went upstairs. She closed the bedroom door, took out her

Associates. How may

said. "My name is Kirsten Bishop. I need to consu

was scheduled for two o'clock that afternoon. She

ntaining the statements for her personal accounts-money she had earned and invested from her career a

smile touched her lips. This

esses at arm's length, a look of distaste on her face. The cheap, synthetic fabric r

rom the bowl by the door. She slid into the driver's seat of h

gates of the estate an