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ooklyn apartment. The hinges groaned, a fami
oe's bag in her left hand. The pap
k. Emerson reached for the light s
erfectly straight on he
uiet room. A small flame illu
tte. The pungent smell of expensive tobacc
at. She set the grocery bag down on the shoe cabinet b
urity?" Emerson asked. Her voice was s
ine Chanel suit that looked completely o
s Birkin bag and pulled ou
nto the IKEA coffee table. The
p wood. The top page stopped ri
old letters of the Schroeder Family
g metal. "Sign it, swear you'll cut all ties with my son,
, a harsh reminder of how the wealthy viewed human connection-as a transaction to be terminated. A bitter taste flooded h
siness," Emerson said. She kept her dista
he stood up, the heels of her shoes stabb
The smell of smoke and hea
lder with her cigarette-holding hand. T
trice spat. "A parasit
merson's chest. She swat
rson said, pointing a shaking
shriek. She raised her ha
ead to dodge, but sh
ylic nails sliced ac
er skin. Emerson gasped and stumbled
eeped throug
, her hands reaching ou
oor was slammed open with a deafening crash. T
st heaving. He didn't even have his suit
s face. His eyes went wide,
rom his throat. He lunge
of Emerson. He shoved his moth
her high heels. She stumble
he tall glass floor lam
s shade
Razor-sharp shards of glass fl
He threw his arm up t
e of glass sliced deep
s crisp white dress shirt. It dripped onto t
m. She let out a blood-curdling scream and colla
breath. Her lungs felt l
y kitchen, grabbed a clea
den's bleeding arm. Her hands shook so
ed out, her voice tremblin
pain. He didn't ev
s eyes were completely dead, fil
d, his voice dangerously low. "I will cut you
d knees. She grabbed her Hermes bag and ran
ad silent, save for A
is uninjured hand and gently wipe
ning with a suffocating
ull away, a sharp ring
vibrated on t
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