e a whisper o

like tears, down the polished pane. The estate grounds had been drenched in fog and somet

she and Wren disc

pped to a hospital bed, marked as unstabl

adn't

ldn't a

ing a differ

y move m

east wing parlor

ategist whose every fluttering blink seemed deliberate. A warm, moody camera setup w

press spot?"

outhern Society Weekly. We'll keep it high-gloss - le

blic to be focused on unity.

nced away from his pho

e loveseat, sat down,

an that," she told

rinned. "

ed it in

hand. Against his shoulder like they

arity gala. It was a script Boone had written, one

ns turned toward leg

hood to you?" the

rue. It's the determination to fight for a future that is not o

was a

tilted h

ghtened ever so sl

said n

h smile

a light c

r a slim package - a burner

meone named Dalton C

sed. "Judge

Claims he knows what they did to

phone. One message f

disappear. You

ed at th

yped

have on the s

in the church court

PR agents. Jus

d seen too much. Before he had a word fr

eigh. Formalized by a private program that Pennin

ds. Photos. Medical scans. Electro

fertility and the limits of the drivers on neurological function." Th

er expression icy. "Wh

had signed her commitment papers. And I

"Then you and I are

ed as a guest. She strode the halls l

- the PR girl being prepped to replace her. Slade'

ely segment. You sell the souther

"And you sell desperation. "On

's smil

i trimming roses

said without raising her e

ou actually care,"

I care deeply. After all, I'll be the one to

d. "Let's test

loser and murmure

lei

ped her

summoned her

sh contract a

a. Expanded public access. Yo

ot lay a finge

face. "How long have you kn

e fr

our estate. You were sent away. Paid off. But you

"To save whatever smal

hen start act

g, she went bac

ies. Files stored on encrypted driv

e documents: "Ph

't an anonymous

ome the storm that the Pe

slid the last file into a

ed off t

ered into

, Mama. I remem