e moment I walked through the door of the villa I shared with Bennet, I

ntity as Harper Cline. I filled out the forms, my new, practiced left-handed signature a testament to my resilience. It wa

, a new identity. I chose a new name, one that felt like a promise to myself. I submitted my p

could fool anyone at a glance. Bennet had spared no expense, commissioning the best in the world to create it. He' d held m

couldn' t feel the warmth of a teacup or the texture of drafting

ompanion. I had tried to end my life more than once, unable to imagine a future without my art. Bennet had

lfish. He didn' t want me to die. He wante

ish. The frustration was immense. But I persisted. Day after day, month after month, I retrained my brain, my muscles. I filled

plication had been accepted. I was of

ennet. He would have found a way to stop me, to "protect" me f

pplication to nullify my identity had been p

and never look back. He would search for Harper Cline,

s. The maids were standing in a line, their heads bowed,

ce bouncing off the marble floors.

dared t

amed Lucy, saw me. Her face flooded wi

he saw me, replaced by a look of profound relief. He rushed forwa

you? I was worried sick. Yo

ffocating. I stood

said, my voice carefully neu

y hair, his touch meant to be gentle but feeling possess

lie. I wasn' t his wif

mall smile.

once more. "Good. Now come with me.

agance, which once would have thrilled me, now felt hollow. We lifted int

of skyscrapers had their lights c

I LOVE YOU

"No matter what happens, my love for you will never ch

so breathtaking, it

awling manor built in a style I had once sketched in a dream

et said, his eyes shining. "Eve

, an impossibly expensive and rare bloom. There was a carousel, just like

ssing whim I' d ever mentioned. It was a mo

I had, for the man I thought he was. It was all a performance, a grand gesture to mask a dark and twisted

"Oh, my darling," he whispered, wiping a tea

d to one knee.

s a diamond ring, larger and more bri

ried, but I want to do this again. I want to promise you my whole life, my whole hea

ith a desperate, obsessive love that

piratorial whisper. "It has a GPS tracker in it. So I' ll always kn

to do with the evening air. It was a cage.

distinct, chirpy notification

crossed his features before he smoothed it over. He ignored the message, t

ile a little too tight. "A client issue. I' ll

de away, pulling his phone out

n. A small, stray cat rubbed against my leg,

had a h

been more home