ldings, a Montblanc pen poised over a multi-billi

reen. It was Leo. He

ears. "Aunt Seraphina fell! She was helping m

he heavy metal clattering against the polishe

o his assistant through the intercom, already grabbing his

ing on the bottom step of the grand staircase, her han

ped her up into his arms an

he drove Leo to school. "You're late, but the teacher will understand," Julian said curtly

"Dad, can we take Aunt Seraphina out for a reall

ert on his calendar for a dinner he no longer intended to host for its original guest. He glanced in the

lost in her drawing, her pencil flying acros

phone. She saw the date on the lock screen: O

xt message from Julian to her old number, as if

hink your little disappearance will ea

r wedding a

a dull, numb ache. She couldn't ev

t card charge. The location: The Azure Room, the most e

months ago, he had promised to tak

d switched her phone to silent mode, severing the la

ded to go out to buy some prop

her black trench coat, the cold wind w

ne vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it o

own number, but the messag

m back in New York. We need

elegant signature on the corner of the ol

ntom sensation of a lecture hall and the smell of charcoal

p in front of her. For a moment, she could almost s

he cold, typed back a single message: the addr

ed open the door, a small

er by the window and ordered a hot tea, wr

e. Deep inside her, a flame she thought h

utside. A woman in a stylish, professional tren