in had reduced Chloe's legs

marble floor. Her knees buckled under the agonizing rush of returning circulation,

in bowl of ginger tea. "Here, sister. Mother tol

ake the bowl, Kayla's fin

olently, aimed directly at Ch

wisted her torso sideways, deflecting the bowl with the back of her forear

ackward onto the carpet and clutching her wrist as if she had be

ut asking a single question, without looking at the tea-

l

ide. A sharp split opened on her lower l

pened her heart to bring you comfort, and you strike her like an alley cat? You

her Carlisle, tensions are clearly too high. Perhaps Chloe should be sequestered in th

ss family shrine at the back of the estate. No

anor ordered Helen.

th a final, echoing groan. The room was subterranean, lined with the marble bu

ody curling into a tight ball. A fever was already ri

Until the footsteps of the changi

ents, Chloe extracted a flat, plastic object no larger than a matchbox: an encrypted bu

g with chills, she p

act saved in the memory

r prose razor-sharp despite th

the Caymans under the name 'Aegis Holdings'. He plans to announce his engagement to Kayla at her ho

hit

agonizing silence. Chloe's vision began to blur, her for

p from the screen, the device

from t

girl.

the small plastic device to her