cross the glass walls of Alex's office in a cold, frozen light that

is father echo

roe again, tell her the tr

st tightening on the yellowed p

was kno

idn't

nock, this

he said,

ned and Oliv

way, she just stood in the door

at

e hell," she

letter down. "You're a

he glass of whiskey besi

h to take t

self-destruction

the bait. "Is there

that-that-made somet

was never

closer. "Clara know

his nose. "She over

ce shaking. "I ran into her by accident. And already she knows that I ha

jaw c

thing a bit smarter th

the dark like that anym

her in the dark

ow furrowed

g his temple. "I wa

hs, you t

was s

h knew. He hadn'

ara ever disco

onsible for having left her then-or for

he turned the pages of Alex

ary in the west wing, hidden

ex drew. And now she

after

h

on canvas. Snoring on

ower right of the page

n't a few

were n

rt when she open

al sk

ground of the u

rawled un

nth

er throat. He'd

in, before the proposal

h

had he kep

ounded, and

d looking

not

as E

eyes made ice water r

ctor's

" Elliot said, stepping i

shoulders. "Is thi

ough his hair. "But if Alex finds ou

. "What is he expecting? For me t

ot s

l me this. Tell me why he's been sketching me for

ot p

all she nee

more to it isn't t

ut down. "You have to

more than sh

sper hardly audible. "

turned

hat s

led

adly

t had left the libr

Clara was

he'd found

is eyes opening briefly before clo

e was f

one final m