er
My lungs burned. I spun around, pushing off my
were howling behind my back. The sound wrapped around m
of the hall. I threw my weight against them and stu
lock and twisted it hard. The sharp click echoed in t
ood of the door, my dress bunching up arou
my lungs in ragge
p purple bruises were already blooming on my pale knees. My right
bit down on the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood. I would not make a sound. When I was a child, m
looked at the massive m
hem of the pure white silk dress was smeared w
the shattered heartbreak slowly bled out of my gaze. The w
rabbed my cheap clutch off the floor. I unzip
the contacts list, scrolling past all the fake, glitter
the bottom. I stopped at
breath. I pr
screen. It was a number that represented the
h Mo
ead, bringing with it a h
stepped out of the shadows. He held a black umbrella over my head and handed me a clean, dry handkerchief. He didn't ask for anythi
bt and the threat to my mother's grave pre
the text message app. My finger
dy to pay
d every ounce of strengt
little green arrow. For two seconds, the ghost of my pa
art completely stopped beating. I sta
nly sound was a slow drip from the
nd. Two
zed violently in my palm. The hars
My fingers were stiff as I
hey radiated an overwhelming, suffocating d
ce is ma
my brain like
Chace slipping the emerald ring onto K
trace of fear was gone. There was only
body. This was my entry ticket to
my feet. I turned the cold water handle. I cupped the freez
arbone. I looked at the reborn woman in the mirror. The c
price. This
/1/114469/coverbig.jpg?v=c9753e545e358dbbff5d1652e26cdbd2&imageMogr2/format/webp)