t door. The automated lights flickered on, casting a sterile white glo
polished marble floors. She ignored the king-sized bed that she had n
side was a meticulously organized collection of bespo
l suits and blouses. A handful of dresses boug
on suitcase from the bott
'd worn to her law school graduation. The worn-out sweater she loved. She left behind every piece of jewelry, eve
d took out a velvet box. Inside, the Bolton engagement ring sat on its satin bed. It was an enormous, ost
squarely in the m
t. It held the only photograph of them together. It was from their wedding day, taken to appease the press. Eve
e frame and slid the photo out. She walked into the adjacent h
te from him. She fed the glossy photograph into the slot. The machine whirred to life with a low, hungry growl. The
peared, she heard the electronic
i
thunderous mask of rage. He was still r
ase by the door, then darted to the shredder,
rama, Ciel," he snapp
ick legal file down on the polished wo
he said, his tone that of a CEO giving an order to a subordinate. "It's the
n was breathtaking. He wanted her to use her legal expertise to cle
ess laugh esc
she
apped up. "Wha
e. I am not your crisis manager.
ad her cornered, that his threat at the hospital had brok
and shooting out to grab her wrist. His grip was like steel. "
step. The look in her eyes was no longer emp
inted a trembling finger toward the bedroom. "The ring is on
is control finally shattering. "After everything
of suppressed misery. "You've given me nothing but humiliation! You're
l the words left unsaid for a thousand days
d over Ciel. It was pointless. He wou
uitcase, and pulled up the handle. The wheels rattled lo
the middle of the roo
voice a low, venomous promise, "and you
dn't ev
d her, the sound booming through
s the
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