papers were quietly fil

air of their sprawl

had been

qu

ce she' d confined herself to her win

imself it

larium, staring out at

turn when

ean

lly look

were calm

orne,"

was poli

Th

Ma

darl

t him like a spl

"Eleanor, wh

g you need?" she a

in his facade, the

e said. "The daily infusion Dr. Finch prescrib

t invisible fl

he no

cour

ked past him, ou

est. No

illing co

, the unease in h

g was ve

ll medical room they' d

A nurse Marcus had hired, di

nor

fered

d the site, her

edle s

ood, dark red, flow in

r, literally

Iz

elt n

n her arm, a deepe

stood, a small banda

on her white silk blouse

t bother

s suite when the nur

t a mountain of pillows

g from the nurse w

," he murmured to I

r. "This will help

ervised the nurse

on was sole

the open doorwa

ss in his ey

ss that wa

, the image bur

ated to h

e was a he

, fully clothed, a

a tempor

a sof

s security men, a yo

ried a

Thorne asked me

owl of soup, some f

velv

ed at it, th

ting the box. "He said... he knows things have been di

a bitter tast

mf

estrated the dea

ied to her, m

homas," she said

ma'a

want it. O

er head, dis

d, then retreat

mained on her nig

insultin

what wa

xpensive.

to buy her silen

ldn' t

r, the door to her

, leaning heavily on a

wn attendant

ice dripping with malice. "Play

velvet box on

es nar

nkets from Marcus? He'

towards th

tched t

her eyes glinting. "Guilty that you lost

ened t

amond bracel

udden, vicious movement, she threw

ll, the diamo

gifts," Izzy hissed. "