Vows for vengeance

lamed food poisoning or a sudden existential crisis. But no-she had showed up, hair damp,

go barked, handing her a tray with eggs, toa

he balcony thing that looks like a Bond

a long-suffering look.

anger to the vill

trembling from her nerves and the three near-mis

he edge of the table, staring at th

like she was presenting a

eyes clearin

und sur

s said you'd be

threatened to quit. I'm

ira smile. "

I'm not allo

I'm allowed t

n the stone bench. "You sure

gold-digger. Might as we

s Amira poked her eggs and I

Amira asked. "Sarcastic.

r brothers. Sarcasm's a defense

the toas

en't run screaming

slowly. "Why

e. And this job, for all its 'marry-your-boss' soap opera energy, pay

ai

at p

ke honeymoon?" Ivy

neymoon. Unless you count tense dinners

d. "Sounds

ias wasn't in

frustrated, and deeply irritated that someone was

thered, coffee in one hand a

e," Elias s

amien shot back. "W

the jab. "Is t

mance, one bribed official, and

backgroun

ity would win.

candals, no drama, just a regular, scrappy sort of life. She'd lived alone most of h

rm

no

something,"

u married her because she

ecause she didn'

thing,

of her breakfast and was now helping Ivy po

ust from the usual girls. From everyone here.

does

really honest..

er. "I'm not here

t are you

pa

figured tha

hallway, Ivy

d at her in that calculatin

ime, Ivy s

ped. "Lovely day to broo

nked. "Ex

it's n

hat, she s

Then muttered under

use, Amira found herself face-to-fac

usic

ass, catching dust in the air like tiny floating secr

alked

ger along

d

over the keys. She h

y, she pres

ano

a c

rfect. But i

osed h

pl

anyone was

e the one part of herse