Contract Hearts

Point

been trying to ignore them for twenty minutes, but something ab

ash beneath twisted sheets. She whimpered something about mons

ng the blanket over her tre

he quiet. "Is she hav

always tell when she was near. There was a tension s

monsters," I said. "I thoug

ng. I could feel her jaw

're funny," sh

I felt something twist in my chest. This kid didn't ask for any of this, the fake

eaned against the doorframe. "I thought pl

hing that couldn't benefit me. But something about this kid, her stubborn chin, the way sh

g," I replied. "Yo

ou care?"

anything else. I walked past Sofia, keeping my gaze ahead, but the

bitter. "Me neithe

hen walked away before I could say something I'd reg

lf reading to Eliza in the sunroom. It wasn't planned, she'd simply appeared wi

ugh ONE piece of chocolate cake," I read

a giggled. "I love c

nd myself smiling genuinely for the

readable, but something flickered across her face; surprise, maybe even pain. Good, Let her w

me suddenly self-conscious abo

ok. "Time for y

ell. "But we d

meet Sofia's eyes as I walked past her, couldn

ple. Sofia wore silk the color of champagne, her smile

t. I noticed her hair was beautifully braided with small pink ribbons

urmured, the endearment rolling off he

, she's quite the catch," one remarked, raising his

shoulders. Her body tensed slightly at the contact, but he

eryone else, but I felt the subtle

Matthews' wife leaned forwar

to hurt, just enough to remind her who was in contro

sight?" One of

roadened. "Some

was good at this game, better than I'd expect

k, "No, she's not dumb," I said to my assistant on the call. "But she won't dig too deep as long as

steady until the e

door to find Sofia frozen in t

evening stroll?

as j

usement color my tone. "You're quite the actress, Sofia. Bu

d I could practically see the

inue the chara

her perfume, something expensive and sharp, like her. "Be

l, just enough contact to make her shiver. She was so focus

said softly. "She t

word, fleeing to her room. I listened

r that way, easier to pretend none of this mattered. So I hid

f listening outside her door, when she drew pictures and stuck them to

heard her Eliza's voice fro

topped me cold. I pressed myself against th

children," Sofia said g

s the best monster voice

child liked me not my money, not my power, not what I could do f

, drawn by restlessness I couldn't name. Eliza had left her teddy

ully, It smelled lik

midnight teddy bear thief.

t it in

oing to giv

couch. "Why do you care? D

ying me with that penetratin

enial came too q

you let yourself

ng between us l

ust a year and we'll be over with." I l

oed from upstairs, followed

at a time. Eliza sat bolt upright in her bed, p

e," she gasped. "

cked the window, scanning the darkness

attention to the muddy footprint by the window

first time, our expressions mat

antly... Who wa