The Unshakeable Queen Returns

ndpaper and her lungs burned with every shallow breath. The heat was a constant reminder of

ction as he typed the numbers into her phon

on swam, dark spots dancing in front of her eyes. She remembered their wedding day, Benedict' s hand in hers, his voice earne

e door handle, her fingernails scraping use

, the words tearing from her raw thro

tective fire she hadn' t seen in years. A fire that was not for her, or for their

ays so busy with work, Aliyah. Always on a plane, in a meeting. When was the last t

e, her entire career as COO of the company they built together, around Leo. She took red-eye flights to be home for breakfast, worked late nights afte

hilling lack of concern. "It' s a tragedy. But Kendall is young. She has her

heat-induced haze. His words weren't a defense of Kendall; they were an a

were board meetings. The weekend "work retreats." The scent of a different perfume on

ing with her,"

ossed his face before it was replaced by cold in

ed on the window with her fists, a desperate, hope

g, but she didn' t feel the pain. All sh

ords tasting like poison. "I swear to God, I wi

he was leaving on the window, and a hint of unease cros

and the sound of a man screaming

!" she begged, h

oked up. "It' s done," he said. "The cloud file is de

as he finally lowered the windo

descending calm. "All this drama, for nothing.

ed living facility, leaving her fa

ther," she said, her

. "He had a little scare, that' s all. You can see him tomo

. The son he had just denied justice

s far as anyone is concerned, Leo' s death was a tragic accident. A faulty car lock, may

avy stone in her chest. She had not only lost her son. She had lost her

e of the car, a new feeling began to bloom in the wastelan

as h