ry, weak sound th

nslucent, stretched tig

Aggressive leukemia... immediate transpla

nce sa

lse. Mom was go

e was with his mistress. The memory made rooms fe

rt, an intern, from our neighborhood in Queens. He loved me

ine ads, my f

stant role for a private ev

cold knot in my

ent" wa

tr

n't know, cornered me

hings I wou

efu

Then he hur

Blac

ital. Bandages. A d

lat. He mentioned "substances" found in my sy

. It would

ce was a mask of horror

showed him the

Vance' s daughter with Elean

up rich in Manhattan, spoiled.

ns. The report wa

nd call girl. Injured

That I took $50,000 from the "clien

lieve

f love, were now full

his voice broken.

he pain, the fear. If I told him the tr

I need," I whispered. It

me, his fac

done,"

NYC. Went to Silicon

almos

drug trial. A miracle.

rred. Deeply.

e something of myse

ears p

BA. Became an executive

saw a magazin

s. Tech bi

eath

phone rang. An

s voice. De

tha

eed to

ile thing. Maybe clo

to Ne

tel suite.

oe. His

le was

at me, his

ce dripping with sarcasm. "Ava

ensive suite. "Did you sl

d sudden, pier

hrough his. "Darlin

$100,000 for Liam all those years ago. Such a shame

cious, calc

l estate developer who abandoned us, never gave me a

on Chlo

efend myself. "That'

. "Oh, Ava, still trying to play the vi

g? That awful business with the police?

hard. He believe

he actual fight to save

it for the drug trial, the nights I

t mattere

r story. I wa

best, really. Ethan is far t

s expression unreada

hysical thing, c

d. A message f

on. A permanent move to London. A non-co

ay

at Ethan,

orld. A world of

t belo

said, my voice su

path. A new

, yes.