t, the most expensive retail block in Boston. Vivian p
d the towering glass door
eap trench coat, her bruised face, and her bulky arm cast. He hesit
ace. The air inside smelled heavily of rich, treated
oached her. She pasted on a tight, corporate
the jewelry counters. She pointed her unin
kin 30 with the gold h
gize, miss, but those pieces are reserved for
ut the Mercer Capital check for fifty thousand do
ottom. Landon Mercer. Her posture instantly straighte
moothly, masking her judgment. "Please allow me just a brief moment t
a back office. Five agonizing minutes passed. When the associate retu
ur patience. Right this w
d out of the boutique carrying a m
looked down at the bag hanging from her good arm. The a
spent on food in an entire year. Yet, to Lando
l in a cheap coat, sporting a broken arm and a head wound, holding
f money could bridge the gap. She
walked two blocks down to a hi
ristine bag and the original receipt. His eyes gleamed w
a twenty-four-hour authentication process before any pa
and pulled out the Mercer Capital check stub, sliding it across the counter next to her bruis
battered, desperate state. He did the ma
u sign an immediate transfer of liability waiver, I can
sitate. "Cut the
housand dollars in her pocket, Vivian
Orphanage came into view. The sound of children laughing
rtha, her hair completely white, gasped wh
Sister Martha
le. "I'm okay. I just tr
he check. She handed it to the nun. "My comp
paper. She covered her mouth with both ha
yesterday. This will pay for the entire rep
shattered pieces of Vivian's heart felt li
tay for dinner. She walked alone down the
to the cork was a photo of her at ten years old
ched the face of the little girl
etched her shadow long across the pavement. She was
her pocket. It was
8 PM. Mercer Est
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