w York sunrise filtering through her unadorned apartment window. She
r, she looked tired. The shadows und
cts. Her thumb scrolled automatically, a ges
arc
. A tiny, foolish spark of hope?
of the green Bentley pulling away with another woman insi
had t
Then she pressed down. A confirma
essed
The space it left was hollow, empty, but also strangely
for her. Inside was a dress of deep sapphire-blue silk. It was simple, elegant, and devas
n her stomach. She applied her makeup with a careful hand, trying t
d at her reflection. The woman in the mirror was a stranger, a ghost from her pas
clubs in the city. A place she used to enter on her own t
t see there. Terrified of the pit
video call. Krissy's face, brigh
"Look at you! Where ar
tant client." She didn't mention the blind date
gh Althea's facade. "Honey, you look stunning. Go and kn
l, warm coal in the c
"How was Dr. Foster? Please tell me you are n
The doctor was nice," Althea said vaguely
the fresh sting of that name. She looked in the mirror one
he told herself. Fo
called was wai
anager of the Elysian Club, a man named
carried the unmistakable weight of power. It was Art
Arthur said. "He requires a quiet table. A corner
already scrambling to make it happen. "We w
expanse of Manhattan, Damarcus Everett fastened his c
l. "Ms. Hayes has just left her apartme
A flicker of something cold and shar
imidating affair of polished brass and liveried doormen. She saw
ag so tightly her knuckles were white. She felt
e heavy door
n a perfectly tailored dark suit, and when he saw her, his ey
his smile warm. "
ouch steady and reassuring. Together,
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