From His Prison To Sweet Freedom

Cob

of Aether, Jason's tech empire. My heart was a dead w

ked up with pity in her eyes. "Mrs. Rodriguez, I'm so sorry, but Mr

a dying mother-in-law, too busy for his grieving

anila envelope. I felt nothing. The grief was a constant, dull ache,

s glided out. She was dressed in cream-colored silk, looki

ing with false concern. "Are you feeling better? T

ll ever be," I repl

r. "I need you to give this t

eyebrows rose slightly.

n my mouth. A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "Turns out

e asked, a hint of challenge in her tone. She

nd dead. "Because he won't see me,

ore she masked it with a sigh of compassi

ilk dress whispering against the floor. She didn't knock. Sh

long table, surrounded by his executives. He looked up as Genesis entered, and t

pered something in his ear

't even glance at the words stamped on the front. He simply picked u

p, right there in front of his

d once sworn he couldn't live without me had just signed away our mar

fered me another pitying smile. "It's done. Remember, Alya, letting g

nd, our fingers brushing. Her s

out of the building

s a thirty-day cooling-off period. Thirty more days in

eakfast in bed. He bought her extravagant gifts. He hung on h

e, small box. I held her favorite porcelain teacup in my hands, its delicate pattern a painful reminder of he

e you c

d in the doorway, a frown

th us for years, answered softly. "Her

"Oh, Alya. You shouldn't be sad. Your mother has been released from her p

voice thick with tears and rage. "Yo

't stand the sight of her, the sound of her voice. I just

ime, I saw a flicker of something other than serene enl

her mind. A way to "help" me.

her speaking to one of the groun

perience. Something elemental, from the

Miss Caldwell... Mrs. Rodriguez has

hardening, laced with the authority she knew she no

per bowed his

an exhausted sleep, clut

ely aware of my bedroom door creaking ope

mooth, a ribbon of ice, moving silent