root cellar was a phan

out her past, the girl

town, smelling of diner grease and d

urity, was something Marcus h

ah," he'd said.

he idea of it, as ano

ght back the choking dust, the skit

was a raw,

hen Marcus first

lwind, charismat

istened to her father's worr

ked, and for a moment, she hadn

rom some leering local boys who'd ma

voice calm but edged with s

ed like a s

ow, a stark contrast to the man who

dflower," he had told her,

e perfume, a unique

, beautiful in y

vulnerability as a canvas for

project, his

y he'd used then no

't love; it w

ed her with g

ner's debts, movi

the designer clothes,

ht, under a sky full of

h. Let me give

e had yearned for escape

all three, or

ed devotion made his current

ay to the upstate estate, Sarah

ses, all that "

ieved his own twis

ndow, the city lights

as a cold, hard k

ofound, an ocean s

ze for Tiffany's lies

ed at her, h

any when we get back. For t

nd slowly, deliberat

n her lap. No signs. Just

d. "Defiant to t

the car was thi

Tiffany was already there, waitin

rcus, her face a

re you alright? Is *she

ing, her feigned i

was enjoying this,

her role perfectly,

around Tiffany,

my dear. I'll

th a tenderness that ma

a... firm remind

was clear. He was blind to Tiffany

in her ambition was something

use, towards the old, abandoned fa

ing, casting lon

oing," Marcus said, his

ify. The dread was a l

ly security guards who

lar. No light. No food.

ven if only before his staff and Ti

gh Sarah, followed

her, unresisting, t

p earth, decay, and the faint

ghtened its grip

esign, his spe

place was h

eavy wooden doors open

d down the rickety wooden steps,

above her, plunging her

cked, a soun

clawed

s was oppre

the faint skitterin

. Her heart hammer

d. The memory, usually a

his rough hands, her small

ssing her hands over her ears, trying to blo

own her face, si

estation of her fe

ion echoed in

is? The man who had on

d called her h

her? Or was it all a g

n him was shattered, ground int

was as painf

ce. He knew what

nt; it was torture, tailo