The Monster I Once Loved

ss from Maya in the opule

te spring sunshine pouring throu

le did not re

across the polish

dollars, Mis

smooth, like e

om Alex's life. Leave th

over Maya's simple dr

.. image to mainta

e check. The numb

ey than she had

lowness inside

anor's expe

ka

ly sculpted eyebr

rs, arguments, perha

acceptance w

non-disclosur

" Maya's vo

ed through the s

filled with things

framed photo f

ken months ago in their

d her, his smile

n the phot

f him, howev

grimy window of Maya's

er shift at the diner,

e alley, a shortcu

e shadows, blood dark o

allet, just the ex

he opened the

" he'd whispered,

ook h

ly big enough for one,

ldn't leave

on the edge

of his past, took a

r. Bike m

er com

eyes full of a simple d

en them, built on shared str

nths, small amo

e home with a s

a vintage s

miring it in a p

of one her late

'd said, his voice

er close

ways, Maya Rodriguez," he

e home with a fresh t

itials

llen, but he smile

re with me

headache

mages he cou

the street, a face f

like a flood, drowni

III, sole heir to S

rld sh

Brooklyn apartment to this

ex she lov

e cold,

te takeovers, board meetings, the

suits now, his hai

e, replaced by a guard

to him, to reach

er hand, a dis

Maya. We'll

neve

ossip colu

"Tori" Va

d. Daughter of

uple in t

as, charity events, e

tiful, perfectly a

ri in a way he no l

was a fresh

a k

mud, he wa

dust, he w

ove couldn't survive

suffoca

million

ri

ce shared with the

o finally become the sc

s money to escape his wor

d her packi

talk to Alex

, not to cha

to the ghost of the

was at 'Le Ciel Étoilé', a

an derbilt,

hem at a sec

ing, her hand

ked up,

nce flickered in his e

od abr

doing here?" His v

if afraid someone wo

u follo

usation

s pure sugar, h

ling, don'

her voice dripping w

se, join us. There

but her feet felt

efuse, Tori was si

nd we'll have the Grand Sea

ya. "You like sea

blood r

shellfish

x k

room after she'd unknowingly eaten contaminated broth. He'd held he

ked at

e, then quickl

id no

e was a ph

the enormous platt

bster, cra

ne made her s

, a predatory gl

his wine glass,

eak. He did n

her initials tattooed over his hear

s when

m Brooklyn w

anger had tak