Vivian’s mouth opened, then closed. I scowled at her. My head starting to pound."The fact that you think it is appropriate for you to scream, assault, and otherwise terrorize the staff is appalling enough. And I'll deal with it shortly."It was unnerving, Renee not answering her phone. Something ab
DominicA maid stood trembling near the hallway, half-bowed and pale. Vivian’s shrieking rattled through the halls like a fire alarm, sharp and relentless. Maids scattered like deer under gunfire, and I approached one of them."What's going on?" I asked softly."Ms. Vivian is…" Something else crashe
“With me?”I glanced away, suddenly shy. “In a dress I didn’t pick. At a place I can’t afford. On a night I didn’t see coming.”His smile was softer than I expected. “I told you—I’d take you around Brightclaw. This is just a start.”The food was amazing, but it was the way the candlelight played on
ReneeI stared. “Excuse me?”“You need real food. A place with actual silverware. One night away from all of this.” He gestured to the building. "And I believe I promised to take you around Brightclaw, didn't I?"I opened my mouth to protest, but I couldn’t quite find the energy to argue. And worse,
"I'm fine. I promise," I looked down."… you don't even know what intentional rest would even look like, do you?""Not a clue.""That's why you're so tired."I shrugged, keeping my eyes on the spreadsheet.He leaned back in his chair. I could feel the weight of his gaze. “Am I burdening you more wit
ReneeThat got me. My hands froze on the keyboard, and for a moment I just stared at the screen without seeing it. I could lie. I could deflect. I could say it was just work, just pressure, just life.But I didn’t want to lie to him. My eyes burned. I looked at him. His eyes were so full of compassi