own ten minutes early. She chose a secluded boo
her mid-tier, three-hundred-dollar leather handbag right in the center of
in. She was wearing a beige designer trench co
to Ellery's handbag, then scanned Ellery's plain sweat
ut the premium black velvet box. She slid it across
ed forward, her eyes wide with greed. "How much are we up? Dad i
her black coffee. The bitt
tenance," Ellery lied smoothly, not breaking eye conta
into the leather booth. Her shoulders dropped in reli
hand across the table, her manicu
velvet, pinning it to the table. She widened her eyes, putting on
her voice dropping an octave,
her hand and cracked the lid of the
massive cubic zirconia dead center. The fake diamond fractured the
rally dropped. She stared at the s
ly uncomfortable. "From that Wall Street whale I tol
t's way too flashy for me. It looks ridiculous. I'm taking it to t
ssed against the edge of the table. Pure, u
pawn that! It's gorgeous! Ellery, please. Give it to
al. I need the cash. I'm putting together some...
ked at her own brain. "You and your stupid doomsda
ht at Kendal's chest. Specifically, at the dull, t
rning sharp and unreasonable. "Fine. Trad
r chest, then back at Ellery like s
I want the only thing that actually belongs to me. The only thing I have f
a single second. Her hands flew to the back of her neck. She
d it onto the wooden table like it was a piece d her breathing to remain steady. She slowly reachvelvet box ac
ediately fastened it around her neck. She pulled out her phone, opened her front-
lm, a faint, microscopic jolt of electricity zapped her
sp twenty-dollar bill from her wallet and
go," Ellery
m her phone screen, Ellery turned on
ran to her car. She threw herself into the driver's seat, locked the doors, and grip
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