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s that have signed death warrants. Models laugh with mouths painted crimson, their hollow eyes reflecting the wealth they've

h the crowd like a predator selecting prey, his smile sharp enough to cut glass. Each handshake is a transactio

y silence as easily as they buy stocks. I recognize the wife of a federal judge, her diamonds catching light as she whis

rbara, the silent wife. Tonight, I am a warrior dressed for battle, wearing war paint disguised as lipstick. Th

the room. His smile widens,

hese same stairs countless times as his possession eyes downcast, voice muted, soul buried beneath layers of co

htning in her veins. Her lips curve in a smile that promises destruction. Her eyes hold secrets tha

ing the predator I've become. Women step back instinctively, recognizing a rival where once st

ained dog, expecting the same obedience that has defined our marriage. His fingers are cold when they touch mine, and I re

hing that can be held. I am wildfire contained in silk,

ke a fish hook in my throat. She is seventeen, her body still carrying the softness of childhood,

t suggests intimate whispers. The other dancers swirl around them, but they exist in their own p

ad, she stares at me with the cold calculation of a woman who has learned to survive by becoming complicit in her own destruc

Every movement speaks of boundaries crossed in darkness. I watch my husband dance with our daughter

s stem. One squeeze, and it would shatter. One word, and this facade would crumble. But Maria's eyes dare me

ash drive, the metal warm from his palm. Our eyes meet for a heartbeat, and I see my own rage reflected in his dark gaze. He knows he

d such enormous power. My fingers close around it, hiding it within my palm like a secret prayer. The pl

Crystal glasses chime against each other in toasts to prosperity built on the bones of innocence. The air grows t

t. She looks over his shoulder at me, her smile sharp enough to draw blood. In her eyes, I see

emory: "Play it when you're ready to burn the kingdom." The weight of that choice settles around my shoulders lik

ing for seventeen, I realize the kingdom is already burni