broken fragility. Her white suit was stained with coffee and cream, and a trickle of blood was beginning to seep from a cut o
th a theatrical gasp. "Oh my god, Delma! Are you okay?" she cri
m the restaurant's entrance. Two figures strode in
onavan a
ut a roar of fury. "Delma!" He shoved his w
rned cart, the mess on the floor, and Delma, bleeding and crying.
She pointed a trembling, accusatory finger. "It was
tly false, that for a second she couldn't even process it. She
Donavan," she sobbed, tears streaming down her face, making clean tracks through the smudge of
rful defense-it was more damning than any accusation. It pain
ged at Amber. "You piece of trash!" h
rs slammed hard against a cold, unforgiving marble pillar. A dull, throbbin
in-law. He didn't even look at Amber. His entir
m him, he knelt down. He carefully scooped Delma up into his arms
in his eyes was not just anger. It was pure, undiluted hatred. It was
that cut through the surrounding whispers, "I will burn the entire Ha
ungs. Her heart, which had been pounding, seemed to stop altogether. She could only stare
t of the restaurant, carrying Delma, with Wyatt and
er, a chorus of judgment and contempt from the well-dress
tened her shoulders. She forced her legs to move, to walk out of that restaura
d clear her head. She walked to the corner, her body moving on autopilot, and
ore Chloe picked up. "Amber? W
hrough her carefully constructed wall of composure. "Chloe," she whisper
t-up Toyota Camry pulled up to the curb. Chloe
g forward and wrapping her arms
e had maintained all afternoon shattered. She sagged against her friend, t
ierce with protective anger. "And that snak
d slammed the door shut. The car pulled away from the curb,
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