Trapped in a Marriage of Revenge

e door came at

polite

ind neigh

. The kind that did

ster. For a split second, she considered pretending she hadn't heard it. That if

ck came

oated from the kitche

expecting someo

begun to beat too fast, too hard, like it knew

ened t

nless faces. One of them held a badge. The o

" the talle

es

re for yo

orld

wrong in her own ears. "There must be a

didn't

side, p

without waiting

her hands on a dish towel. "What's go

le is under arrest for financial fraud, embe

harply. "That

y footsteps sound

his cufflinks, confusion crea

shed again. M

e man said, "you'

tween her father and the officers. "You can't just come in

came down gently

he said

is jaw was tight. And in his eyes-eyes that had always been st

e

she whi

head slight

old hands. Cold words. Cold metal cuf

mall, broken sound and

now. "Please, there's been a misunder

," the officer said fla

father towa

ing once more. "Take

fix this," she promised despe

er then. A sma

w you

n he wa

the news

heir accounts

family name meant

zzing nonstop on the bed beside her. Messag

eed to read

you

it

better if we don't

the phone

mother hadn't

her father teaching her how to ride a bike, how to balance

rim

Ne

choed through t

she thought maybe it was her father. Th

ving room, the man standing

ored black suit that looked like it had never known war

ld, unreadable-se

ole," h

ques

ied cautiously.

s Julian B

hit her l

knew th

mpanies without blinking. A man whose

ou want?"

e stairs, where her mother's sobs

talk about

d. "You have nothi

er. One step. Contr

ly, "I have everyth

eath c

pulled out a thin folder, placi

oof she didn't understand-but the weight of

ice," Julian co

er and fear colliding in

gaze withou

me,"

echoed in

.Wh

ice flat, merciless. "And your

embled. "You

wn slightly, his

d. "I'm offe

unded. "And

es dar

er stays exactl

wallowed

ound disappear b

sn't a

s a t

r was the man who held her