The Million-Dollar Escape

avy in my hand. O

at across from me in the cold, white l

ere like c

oice smooth, but with an edge.

ile. She never

eave Victoria' s li

precise, like a

I didn' t even know I was wal

again. My name, Etha

llion

ppear. Enough

finally ad

y. "Alright,

ded hollow in

atisfied nod. No em

ess of er

leave, my mind

ago. Rain. S

dio. The smell of damp c

a Ashford, heiress, rea

the penthouses,

my Vic, star

, she was

me she cou

d eyes and a cut

wrecked car, the st

w who she was.

n. What else

wallet usually empty.

she was w

tant noodles

ughed

my music, even

ine, as we walked t

s I was working on, off

wealth we h

ure and

s vintage guitar pick yea

me, eyes shining, ho

op window, worked odd jobs f

for

was

ttooed on her inner wrist

ic I

who wa

ss from me at charity galas, a

was all sharp edge

m, now sounded like ic

rld of wealth and power

se sh

hadn' t

ayes was alwa

nking fortune.

that never reached his e

em. "Power Couple," t

e gallery opening. Victoria

ether. Alw

s, a glossy magazine left open on the m

an," Victoria had said,

he hurt. Or maybe

me was buried deep un

ambition. Her duty. He

auction. One of those

pped crystals.

ghost in my

a circle of people whose clothe

er Hayes' s bow tie. A

he used to

mach t

some air, and knocked ov

d on the po

Everyon

, her face a ma

e more careful? You'

p, loud enough for

ce bu

cidentally" spilled his champag

acket. Worn,

id, his voice dripping with false apo

Don' t be so sensitive, Ethan,"

t me. She just turned b

a cut. Deeper

uddenly felt like the only real

e of my

st of