The Reunion That Broke Me

nce's voic

wo choices,

mb, all polished dark wood and silent, heavy air. Mia sat

nd, a place in society. Everything you could want. You

r

rd hun

fe, somewhere far away. You disappear, and you never contact

of marrying Julian, of being tied

disa

was a ra

Just le

ised a perfectly

e might think you ha

e was made. Esc

clear, did nothing t

om Eleanor Vance had provided while arran

sheets were twisted arou

ake h

ce, contort

f the chain

her body trembling.

e another cage. She was out of the la

dden, her lifeline during those dark months. Her hands shook so badly she

Julian, early i

asement room where he kep

Bread.

arefully on the sm

ed to e

over his forehead, his blue eyes, usually so hard, h

hollow. Fear was a constant comp

ne covers, not in a damp basement keeping a prisoner. He wore an expensive cash

an?" she'd whispered, her voi

nderness wo

switch

his fingers digging in

at

rsh, his eyes sudd

soup dribbling down her chin when s

close to hers, his breath hot. "You dest

rstand. None of

ild, disconnected from

Leaking secrets?

as i

to ask, to

alking about? What humi

to piece together his frag

im at Blackwood Univers

the art studio, a hes

ce high school, before... b

I thought th

erent then. Quie

Philadelphia, her home. He'd e

tiny, hop

he was at her of

ask of cold fury

clamped over her mouth

ut. Forced he

ermont was a b

e. The chains. The beg

o reason with

eeks of his rage, his confusi

, thin, her

e. "Whatever you think I did... I'm sorry. Just let me

nything, promised any

s a small pric