The Contract Wife's Reckoning

into h

e to drink tha

own apartment. The one she' d kept afte

red the car in a d

le m

ething

pulling up outsi

ce. Their m

she doi

engine. Sat

ing loome

divorce papers. Sh

come

t hers

ent was da

si

dy, there were sounds. The soft clic

not

she ca

f course not

ked on t

oom was imma

d through

till on the shelves. B

lf empty. His

m. His toil

, clean smell of his soap

s gon

himself from

ean

e she' d

ase settled i

irrit

t so... t

No drama.

nough to even leave a note,

care. This was

s of the apartme

res

inexplicable urge

nched h

e was Ava Sterling. She

elieved h

e

leave when she he

nd two women

guely recognized. Sophia Chen, an art

, red-rimmed,

ce har

ode tow

pped he

oed in the si

apped back. He

r voice raw with grief. "What d

d horrified but d

Ava said, her voice tight, han

sh, broken sound. "Is that w

with tears and fu

is dea

s hung i

e

ared a

aded. A different kind of n

talking about?

s face

oked out. "From his b

king. "You killed him! With your coldness, your

ng now, great

a gentle hand

s go. This is

ght seemed to drain out of her,

time, her eyes filled with

in hell for what

let Sophia lead her

eaving Ava alone in

Liam w

tood

ds replayed

m his balcony.

o

n' t p

would

rating. Clingy.

ot su

ling on Sophia Chen, who

ay, her expression a mixtur

her arm. Her

ed, her voice harsh. "Tha

see him. To pr

d but didn'

re surprisi

lying, Ms.

was quiet,

sted, her grip tightenin

for a moment, Ava saw a fl

he is?" Sophia said, her

the city

ell away from

gs fel

orld

rg

arted deep

m.