e Comb
gathering every photograph of us, every gift he' d ever given me, every sentimental tr
Emerson caught me, his h
yes falling on the bulging bag. His b
ering," I lied,
Gisele's things." He took the bag from me and set it aside, as
love. For the baby." His embrace was warm, familiar, and for a treacherous moment, my e
he was holding. I
scream from upstairs
is face etched with panic. "Gisele!
to my palms until they bled. I heard him find her, her fake sobs, h
m going out," I called up
anding, a frown creasing his br
I lied. It was the only
l come with you. Let me
ing with false magnanimity. "In fact, I have a follow-up with
"I don't know if I
With Gisele there to distract him, I could slip away. I had to get to
of the car, Emerson's phone rang. A crisis at the label-a re
art starting to rac
Gisele. "I... Adeline, take Gisele home after her
ling smile spread across Gisele' s face. She pushed herself u
e. "All glowing and pregnant. He only knocked you up because he thought I was
om her long convalescence, but
or her games. I
n a chalkboard. "He's going to give me that baby, you know. He prom
ound behind me, then a sharp, blindin
ld went
was overwhelming. My head throbbed, and a thick, metallic taste filled my mouth
e with a look of detached amusement. She nodded
rimal terror gripped me. I saw a long, me
t was a brutal, tearing agony that ripped a scream from my throat. I t
t and tears mingling on my face. I bit through my lip, the coppery
it stopped. The room fell silent,
s-steel kidney dish in her han
voice a triumphant hiss. "
e dish was a small, horrify
f so profound washed over
from mine. "If you tell Emerson, if you tell anyone, I will find your father's ash
reeling. The hate in my heart was a living
low, delib
short, ugly sou
My baby. I had planned to let it go, but
the empty air, to the tiny,
twelve days, my visa would be ready. I
would