as a cold chill crep
was now standing in front of her, deliberately
picable. There was no
ocked his outstretched hand aside. "Don't touch me,"
ded upstairs. This place no longer fe
en the master bedroom door,
Dennis had come back. H
at the necklace resting against her collarbone. It was exact
really had no shame, giving the same gift to
gaze dropped to Melany's hands, and her expressi
emanded, rushing forward, only to come up
h with practiced ease. A thin, mocking smile curved her lips. "So you wrote a
hich was the only reason she had been able to impers
. In truth, she understood very little, and everything she had built rested on a lie. She could
tened her tone, trying to reason with her. "You already have everything yo
t had never been published, but its value to her had nothing to do
eans so little, why do you care so much?" she said. "Tell you
d through clenched teeth, he
Then I suppose I'll just burn it." She pulled a lighter fr
an cried out i
teen, she'd been caught in an accidental fire-and the sm
chest tighten. But losing that paper...
she said, her
ade bending painful, each mo
t her attention never left Melany
he moved. She lunged forwa
ked back with a sharp mechanical sound, putt
Melany said, her voice turning cold. "Interesting. I
ng the edge of the paper almost immediately. Wit
fire spread, the sight sending
quickly. There was
er, she rushed forward and stamped at the flames, bit
f the pages were already gone,
laugh. "What a pity. It was
if Dennis saw it now, there would b
y gathered the fragile, charred remains. The l
ir in her eyes faded, replaced by something colder, sharpe
ard, slamming the wheelchair back against the
n that moment, anger d
olding the flame to Melany's carefully styled hair, the
aught almo
st the wall, unable to move, Melany sc
the scene in an instant, his expression tur
ut it was already too late. A large section of Melany's ha
as she sobbed uncontrollably. "She tried to burn me
he floor with a dull sound. Ignoring them both, she
up, she met Dennis's gaz
him like this once-wh
d been aimed at the men who hurt h
ly, as though something ins
Jillian said, her voice flat,
omething absurd. "Melany is terrified of fire," he said
/1/112021/coverbig.jpg?v=17781581d5e1410777c9aea592bd3d92&imageMogr2/format/webp)