room smelled of co
r hands lay in her lap, still trembling, still stained. Every few seconds her mind replayed the same moment, the weight of his heads.
fifties with tired eyes and a crooked tie. He slid a pape
id, not unkindly. "From the moment y
a ruined whisper. "He asked me to hold it. He said h
put noth
She pressed her knuckles against her mouth and shook her head, hard, until the tears
for a long momen
father's body is no l
snapped
he Lin family's private physician had him removed. The family waived
y a few hours away. Nobody has even..." Her voice shat
mself. "A man that powerful dies of poison in front of the city's
e fill, numb, as if the arm belonged to someone else. The nurse labeled it, glanced at the quick scan, and murmured, "
he did not care. Han Bo, t
ghting rig above the stage, straight through the main power cable. One shot. A marksman's shot." He look
at him. "Why w
ing you cou
marble pillar, eyes on the ceiling, counting something down. But the tho
whispered. "I don't k
television bolted high on the wall. She had not asked for it.
filled the frame, a grainy still from the ballroom, her mouth open in a scream, her hair wild,
of flashing cameras, and her heart lifted, ab
sed and grave. He looked, she thought, like the man who had once promised he
th, practiced voice. "I have also made a difficult decision. Effective immediately, I am ending my engage
exploded into
something inside her go very quiet, the way a hou
len knuckle. She tugged again, harder, her breath catching on a sob, twisting until the skin tore and the ring
paper cup of water on the ta
yer came at fou
ver once looked at her with warmth. Behind him, lounging in the d
y removed from the family register. All accounts, properties, and privileges are revoked, effective immediately.
in, broken laugh. "I
of that before you killed
ing thunderstorms, trembling, because he was too proud to admit he was afraid. "Jiahao," she
crack, a hesitation, so quick she might
. "Grandfather loved you bes
ut. His eyes, she notic
n, and for the first time that night, Qingyue
ing
len and red, her hair coming loose from its pins. In one hand s
ut a word, she slipped the shoes onto Qingyue's bare, bruised feet, one
shaking so hard her teeth knocked together. "They all... Yifan, Jiahao, ev
ill small. "I know. I know you didn't. I posted your bail myself. I'm taking you out of here." H
nto her shoulde
slip the nurse had left behind. AB negative. Her fingers went still
ached out and slid th
front steps. The car was cold and smelled faintly of jasmine. Qingyue pressed her fo
mn of smoke rose from the Lin family
d it until
ered. Her breath fogged the glass.
hers and squeezed. "
er face with a trembling
thing. He said, 'Don't trust.' Then he..." She swa
Meirong's hand sti
you tonight. Yifan. Jiahao. The people who stood there and let them drag you away." She
slid down, warm and silent. "Then
od g
against the seat, her breath evening out, her finge
y asleep. Then she eased her hand free and took out h
ssage was
he in
on her cheeks, the cheap flat shoes, the tiny cut on her finger where the ri
it was
moved across
trusts me
thread, and turned the car towa
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