pain in my head and a d

through the wind

moment, I did

the fall, of Ethan'

done

hur

r creak

ssed in a crisp, nur

was a bi

real concern. "Ethan asked me to check on you. He's al

sy f

was a fresh

managed, my

ht need some help. I want to be clear, Eleanor. I'm here as a professional

as almost laughable if

home, after her lover, my husband, had

caregiving w

ements rough and impatient, sending

she snapped,

kfast – burnt toast

," she said, as if tha

g on a cut on my arm from the fall, she fumbled

ng, and I couldn't

e making such a fuss," sh

agony, the sheer audacity of t

my voice shaking. "Ju

me, pain shootin

and then, incredibly

her voice suddenly small and wounded. "I d

the picture of a

ct moment to call. A

?" he asked, h

Ethan," Ava sobbed. "She just scream

ss was a masterpie

leanor, what the hell are you doin

or my side. He immed

s was a suffoc

his instant," Ethan commanded over th

ce trembling but firm. "She's in

your father's company is up for that big merger review next

n the air, chilli

his legacy. Ethan kn

force me into a hum

l, triumphant smirk

bsolute. This was emotion

the word tasting like

. My forced compliance

ung up, Ava's

d, her voice back to its

inst the pillows, de

apology was

airs, presumably reporting her "success

ed in protest,

o the mu

ance," from a wedding we'd crashed as studen

ivid, so full of Et

lt like a

r this time, muffled by my own

f loss was

piece of

fragments into a dustpan

ha

back

eaped into

scanning the room, then landing

he asked, his voice neu

of being caught in my private act of destruct

I'd broken, not yet.

nsion hung he

ffhanger I had