sat on a hard metal bench, her hands clasped so tightly in her lap that her knuckles were white. She wore her best-and only-blouse
nd of the large clock ticking on the wall. Each tick
nformed her, without looking up, that Mr.
her prayed this was all a sick joke, that no one would show up,
n, and a wave of expensive perf
ssed in a Chanel suit the color of cream, and every line of her body screamed wea
ike it had been sculpted. Her eyes, a sharp, intelligent blue, scanned th
re in gossip columns and on society pages. The Nelsons were old money, and Elianna
topping so close that Eileen had to
sked, her voice smooth but
t met her gaze, her heart a s
what kind of dirty trick you pulled to get your name i
e of absurdity-and pulled out a checkbook. She scribbled a few numbers, tor
aid, her lip curled in a sneer. "Take the money,
blur. Half a million dollars. Enough to disappear. Enough
mant for years, hardened into steel. The memory of her panicked, sleepless night flashed through her mind-hours spent frantica
small, slow cu
you sure you want to be doing this? I'm pretty sure trying
face faltered, her
e to ask, in what capacity are you making
' hang in the air, laced
," Eileen continued, her voice ga
eatures. "You cheap, worthless tramp
he movement swift and
tone. "Go ahead. Every camera in this building is recording. Ass
th a fury she was clearly not used to containing. She was a woman who got w
r hand, her nails dig
ice low and venomous. "My aunt, Del
tance was coming from inside the Butler family. This wasn't just a ran
. It clarified things. She was
d-looking man in a rumpled suit hurried out.
vient nod, then turned to Eileen, his ex
avison, the supervisor here. Could you please come with me
to a triumphant, cruel smile. It was
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